King
by Auster
Summary: Yuugi’s scales smoothed over his skin, and tightened around his neck, a silent message to his Master, who understood well enough. It was a reminder of exactly who owned who." There's no line between love and hate, rather, its a balancing act. YxYY/A AU
1. Part One

**King**

**Part One**

_I must be cruel only to be kind;_

_Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind_

William Shakespeare

_-_

The shrill sound of a baby's screaming cry alerted the palace of the Pharaoh that their Queen had, at last, after hours of painful labour, given birth.

Within the birthing chamber, she clutched her newborn to her sweat-dampened chest, tears of relief and joy cascading down her flushed cheeks. Around her the female healers and servants joined her happiness with bright smiles. The baby was strong and healthy.

The chamber was hot and dimly lit by tall torches, their flickering light reflecting dark red shadows over the stone walls. Through the vast, bare windows that opened onto the night sky, the stars shone clear and bright and a full moon dusted the world outside with rich silver. The Gods blessed their new child.

Word was sent quickly, and before the newborn had even been properly cleaned, the doors were flung wide to omit the impressive presence of the Pharaoh himself. He strode to the bedside with steps that filled the room with his almost oppressive existence; his eyes were alight with a determined passion.

"Well?" His voice thundered over the baby's scream.

"A son, my Husband, a healthy, strong son." The Queen hastened to reply to his question, protectively clasping the boy in her arms.

The Pharaoh was openly pleased with the news, his gaze shone with a deep pride as he looked at the crying child. The boy was indeed healthy, with smooth skin as rich as the colour of coffee and thick tufts of ebony hair covering his head.

The highest royal scribe came hurrying up to the Pharaoh's side, standing respectfully just behind the ruler's shoulder, "His name, My Lord?"

The Pharaoh paused, then spoke, "Horus himself consulted Priestess Isis over this matter in a vision, his birth name is to be Atemunhotep."

The scribe took immediately to scribbling on his papyrus, and another servant sped from the room to alert the ink masters, who were to imbed in the Prince's skin the evidence of his heritage, of the child's name.

A tall man that had stood silently in the shadows of the doorway stepped forward as the servant rushed past, and spoke with a rumbling voice, "My Pharaoh?"

The Pharaoh looked away from his son and nodded to his High Priest, "Yes, it is time. Ready the circle!"

The mother took an apprehensive breath and clutched her son as the servants and guards piled out of the room to be replaced by the six Priests of the Pharaoh. The stone doors to the room were closed and locked behind them. Using a paste-like mixture of blood and sand from the inner sanctum of the Temple of Ra, Shimon, keeper of the Sennen Key, painted a complex series of circles on the stone floor of the birthing room.

A main circle large enough to accommodate ten tall men lying along the line of its circumference, soon dominated the room. Runes were painted along its inner and outer edge. Just within this circle Shimon drew another seven circles, and an eighth in the very centre. Within the central circle a many-pointed star was painted, each of its points touching the edge of the circle that contained it. More runes were etched onto the stone in lines that issued from each point like sunbeams to the edge. And finally a ninth circle was painted outside of the main one, in the direct path of the eastern rising sun, thin curved lines of runes connected it to its larger counterpart until it looked like a crude pendulum held stationary below an overlarge clock.

Finally it was done, and Shimon stood to inform his Pharaoh that the preparations were complete.

One by one the Priests stepped into their appointed spots, one of the seven smaller circles within the main one, and stood like statues, their Items poised and ready. The gold glinted in the firelight.

The Pharaoh was the last to enter the circle; instead he walked over to the Queen who was still clutching their son protectively. He held out his arms to take the boy but she did not move to give him the child.

"Give me my son, woman." He insisted, impatient.

She did not relent, "What are you going to do to him?"

"Protect him."

"With demon magic?!" Her voice rose shrilly.

"With the magic gifted to us by the Gods! Do not insult them by questioning their choice!" He forced the child from her arms and ignored her scared tears, moving to the only circle that resided outside of the main group. Kneeling, he placed his son upon the stone in the centre of the small circle, naked and vulnerable in the open air.

Soon that would change. Atemunhotep would never be vulnerable again.

Leaving the child where he was, the Pharaoh at last took his place within the circle of blood and sand to begin the ritual. The seven of them were about to enter into one of the hardest things they would ever do in their lives.

The summoning of the highest-level Air Djinni.

A silence stung the air in tangible tension until the Pharaoh began, his deep voice rumbling with the power of the words he intoned. The chant was soon multiplied in sound and power as each of the priests began to speak, all in synch with one another. Their skin grew hot and moistened with perspiration under the effort of forcing syllables of such power from their mouths, the words burned the mouth as they passed and heated the room with their crackling magic. The runes seemed to shimmer like red water, and the paste that painted the circles began to bubble gently.

Suddenly the motionless and stale air was whipped into a frenzied gale. From all four corners of the room wind blasted in through the windows as a black storm brewed outside, sparks of electricity jumped from cloud to cloud. The air itself seemed to protest as they summoned gales and winds from every corner of the desert and beyond, forcing it into this one room.

The baby screamed. His Mother sobbed in fear. And seven golden Items of power flared to bright life, the eyes of Gods lighting up to aid the struggle of their Masters.

The Pharaoh spread his arms wide, the Puzzle blindingly bright; around him the priests copied his movement, as one tilting their heads back and shouting the same single command to the furious wind.

"_Condense!_"

A narrow tornado span itself into existence, roped horizontally around the room and vocalising its rage in surreal howls, it was drawn in from being scattered about the edges, and in through the east of the circle, driving with unholy force _through_ the baby lying there.

The Mother screamed.

But the wind passed through the boy as if he weren't there, and he appeared unharmed as the Pharaoh and his Priests forced the wind into the central circle, pushed it into a smaller and smaller space. All the while it fought terribly, and the Items were forced to burn brighter and brighter, their Masters pouring more and more of their life force into the power needed to control what they had summoned.

And then with a crack that seemed to rip the air, the fight was over. The storm outside faded into nothing, and once again a calm sky could be seen from the windows. Evidence of the fight remained everywhere, the drapes that hung from the walls had been torn to shreds, the torches had been extinguished, and many of the priests looked close to collapsing.

"It is over." The High Priest spoke, his voice filled with relief and exertion.

In the central circle a sphere of silvery wind continued to fight against the invisible bonds that contained it.

The Pharaoh, breathing heavily, stood tall, a large hand wrapped around the chain of the Sennen Puzzle for strength. It continued to pulse gently. He watched the sphere before him and smiled with dark pride.

Together they had done what a single person could never hope to achieve. They had brought together the scattered conscious of one of the most powerful forces in existence, and forced it under the servitude of their future king.

Egypt would forever be untouchable.

"Demon, did you not hear us? The fight is over and you have lost. Show yourself."

With a high-pitched shriek of rage and pain, the ball of wind collapsed in on itself and instantly reformed into a terrific beast. Claws and teeth as long as knives, white fur that rippled with jet-black stripes. The creature roared and growled, lashing out before it was pulled back and into itself. Suddenly becoming a great flaming bird with a long neck and deadly beak. But with a musical cry the bird also disappeared and suddenly a scaled beast stood in its place, jaws cracking viciously at the air. The cycle repeated itself over and over, creature after creature flickered before their eyes, some they recognised, some they didn't. But it was clear to them what was happening. Djinn had the flawless ability to shape shift, and in its rage the summoned Djinni was doing everything it could to find a means of escape.

And through the awe and fascination, the Pharaoh remembered what needed to be done, the true name of the demon that had been spoken but once during the spell, needed to be repeated to complete the ritual.

But he was not the Djinn's Master, and to speak the name of a demon you did not control bore a painful price.

He would speak it anyway; the Gods and the Puzzle would protect him and lessen his pain.

Hardening his will, he focused on his magical strength.

"You can escape this no longer. Condense and show us your truest form: _Yuugi_!"

An incredible pain bolted down his spine as the name left his lips, it felt as if someone had slashed his back open with a molten spear. The top layer of skin over his heart smoked as if branded, and steam escaped from his mouth, scorching his throat.

The Puzzle glowed.

By the time he recovered enough to stand again, the demon had long since stopped shifting its shape. The Pharaoh stared in surprise at what he saw.

A boy no older than seventeen was crouched, naked, like a cat, on his heels in the central circle. He looked wild. Long, unruly hair of three vibrant colours, red, black and gold, fell like a mane around his shoulders. His ears were a little longer than human's ears, and reached a fine pointed tip at the top. He looked wiry and agile, far more flexible than normal. His skin was as pale as the moon and a set of huge eyes the colour of rich amethysts were split vertically by black pupils.

The boy was watching him with a hungry satisfaction, as if his pain had been nothing short of amusing. The priests had not moved from their places, they knew better.

"If you had been a lesser man and did not bear that trinket," the demon suddenly spoke with a sly grin, "My name would have killed you."

"You have been bound, demon." The High Priest spoke, it would take days for their Pharaoh to regain his voice after speaking a name of power.

The boy flicked its head to look at the priest, a mocking look on its face. "Really? I didn't realise."

"Then you know you can do nothing to harm us."

"To my great disappointment."

The boy remained crouched on the ground, always ready to pounce, carefully its catlike eyes flickered to each of the seven _humans_ stood within the summoning circle. It was pathetic that humans would sink so low as to have to amass together just to find power.

"But which of you is my new Master?" It spoke quietly, power hissed like a snake in its otherwise gentle voice. The Master could not be all of them; that was a true impossibility. And it was not the Pharaoh, who had nearly died from speaking his name.

The seven of them turned and pointed, like obscure sentinels, at the ninth circle where the baby was still crying, but now quietly, lying on its back on the harsh stone. The demon followed their gazes and sneered in distaste at the sight of the child.

The young priestess Isis spread her arms: "The newborn Prince of Upper and Lower Egypt: Atemunhotep. Through this ritual your souls have been eternally bound together. You will reside in loyal servitude and remain his protector until the day he passes into the next world. As ordained by Horus himself."

"This is my purpose here? To protect a child?" The boy was irritated, how many years would he have to spend bound to this forsaken world attending to the needs of a human?

"Correct."

The Pharaoh nodded when the priests looked at him questioningly, the ceremony was complete. The demon was released from the magic of the seal. As soon as he was able, the boy shifted out of his vulnerable form and into the body of a creature familiar to them.

A cobra curled on the floor, glaring at the baby as it thought of its new forced duty, around it the priests began to clean up the burned blood and sand that had painted the circles. No evidence could be left.

As soon as she was able to, the mother swooped down on her son and cuddled him to her chest. Grateful for his safety. The servants re-entered the room, and the exhausted priests left, the Pharaoh being taken directly to the healer. The Queen and her maids left the room too, eager to tend to the young Prince at last.

From the shadows, a reluctant snake followed the women carrying its charge.

-

It was the early hours of the morning now. And the Prince, clean and fed, had been laid to rest. But for some reason the boy would not sleep. His parents had long since lain to sleep in their own rooms, and his maids were gently snoring in the background. But in his crib, the baby Prince continued to squirm restlessly.

Yuugi watched him from a corner of the room, his snake's eyes detecting the child's body heat in the cool night. The Prince glowed hotter than the rest of the people he had seen, and Yuugi did not believe that this was simply because his charge was a child.

Atemunhotep would grow to be a powerful man.

And with Yuugi's power bolstering him, would he also grow to be a tyrant?

Yuugi flicked his tongue and tasted the air. It didn't matter, he would have to do as his Master commanded no matter who he became.

The baby made a cooing noise of discomfort and annoyance. Yuugi did not want noise now that he finally had a chance to quietly collect his thoughts. Leaving his corner he slid over to the Prince's crib, as he went his body shifted its shape again.

A small black cat leapt onto the cushioned bars of the Prince's crib. Its purple eyes reflecting the moonlight as it gazed down at the baby.

The boy's inferior gaze soon found him, and Yuugi was left wondering how it was possible for a newborn, with its fuzzy sight, to have seen him at night, as the Prince smiled innocently up at him and cooed joyfully. Carefully, Yuugi scrutinised the baby with his sharp eyes, it was indeed, a strong and healthy boy with a rare soul that, already at this age, was powerful enough to keep him from breaking his bonds to this world. Already the boy could sense him and his presence, although that was probably more due to the connection that had been forged between their souls when he was pushed, particle by particle, through the child's body.

So this boy was his Master. And would remain so until his death. Yuugi frowned; it had been many decades since he last took a physical form in this world, how long were humans expected to live these days? He hoped not long, he could already feel the beginnings of an itching discomfort caused from being solid too long.

Yuugi's ears twitched, he leapt down into the crib. He didn't remember ever seeing such a young human before, and Yuugi had already lived a long life. The baby followed his movements with its gaze as best it could as he prowled warily around the crib. Yuugi didn't think he'd ever actually touched one of his master's before, usually he was just summoned to perform a job a normal demon couldn't do, then let go again. Very few humans had the power to keep hold of him for very long, usually only a few months, and then he was gone. But this boy was different. It was not simple power that bound Yuugi this time, it was the soul itself, and bonds created by the soul were much harder to break.

What would happen if he touched the human?

Carefully, Yuugi approached the restless child, sniffing, his whiskers just barely brushing the boy's skin. It smelt strange, kind of… spicy? He began to pull away.

Yuugi blinked when a weight pulled him back, a surprised meow escaped his throat before he could stop it, and Yuugi suddenly found a pair of tiny hands clutching the fur around his neck and the bright crimson eyes of the child happily gazing back at him.

Yuugi lifted his head, and in turn the baby was lifted up a little higher off the mattress with him. The boy giggled, but didn't let go.

Scowling, Yuugi shook his head and dislodged the child's grip. What was he doing? Being so gentle with a useless human! Turning, Yuugi leapt back up to the top bar and sat precariously on the edge. Preparing to be the reluctant, protective sentinel he had been summoned for.

It took a little while, but finally the baby quietened down. Yuugi swished his tail from side to side in annoyance. This wasn't the kind of job he should be doing. Creating fantastic and wild weather patterns just for fun, yes. Destroying his Master's opponents one by one without them ever realising he was there, yes. Wiping out an army on an order, yes. But babysitting? Which divine power had cursed him with this?

Sulking, Yuugi was lost in his own world, and so was completely unprepared for the exceptionally strong tug on his tail that brought him tumbling with a slight screech off the rail and back into the cot. Landing on all four paws, but still slightly disorientated, Yuugi stared in disbelief at the boy who was giggling again. What had just happened to him? What was with this child? He couldn't be normal. But this child… this child…

The baby was clinging to him again, tiny fists clutching the fur of his belly as it snuggled into his warmth. With some reluctance, Yuugi let the boy get comfortable, and soon the baby's breath had evened out into gentle little puffs that tickled his fur. Yuugi rolled his eyes, not even a day old and the Prince already got exactly what he wanted. Settling himself down, Yuugi curled around the boy to make them both more comfortable, and settled his head on his paws. This way, no one could hope to remove the boy without waking him in the process.

His job of protection complete for the night, Yuugi closed his eyes.

-

Yuugi was woken by a large, warm hand running across the length of his spine, stroking his fur like it was silk. Lazily he twitched his tail and purred, a deep rumbling sound that travelled into the skin of the human chest he slept on. He rose and fell gently with the rhythm of the other's breathing, floating pleasantly in the world between sleep and wakefulness.

"My Pharaoh!" A loud, intrusive voice made Yuugi's whiskers twitch in irritation, "Ra has been reborn! It is time to wake!"

Opening his eyes reluctantly, Yuugi blinked at the bright light of morning shimmering through the gauze curtains.

"Your cousin certainly knows how to ruin a morning," Yuugi spoke, uncoiling his cat's body and yawning.

Atemu watched Yuugi's needlepoint teeth gleam white as he yawned, moving his hand Atemu scratched a sensitive spot just behind Yuugi's left ear, hoping to pacify the little black cat resting on his chest. Yuugi did not take rude awakenings well. Silently he cursed Seth for shouting so boorishly this early in the morning. Yuugi let a purr of appreciation escape him; sometimes he wondered if Atemu knew him _too _well.

"My Pharaoh! Have you awakened?"

"I suppose you should answer him." Yuugi said lazily.

"He can wait." Atemu responded, wanting to relax again in his comfortable bed.

"My Pharaoh?"

Yuugi stretched out his body to iron out the kinks, raising his behind in the air and stretching his front legs out, and casually letting his claws dig into Atemu's skin.

"Ouch!" Atemu half shouted, sitting up sharply in pain and making a grab for the guilty cat. "Yuugi!"

But Yuugi was already sat on the other end of the bed, nonchalantly licking a raised paw, a suggestion of a smirk at the corners of his mouth.

"Why you little – "

"Pharaoh, what was that? Are you alright?"

"You should really answer him." Yuugi said between licks.

Atemu sent the trickster a promising glare, which Yuugi gracefully ignored, and turned his gaze to the great doors leading out of his personal chambers, "Nothing is the matter, Seth," He said, loud enough to be heard from outside, "I will be out soon."

"Very well, My Lord."

Atemu rolled out of his bed, his stubborn body refusing to admit that it was time to begin the day, parting the translucent curtains that were draped luxuriously around his huge bed, Atemu made his way to the wash basin, recently filled with hot water, to scrub his face. It would help him wake up and wash away any remains of sleep that he refused to let even the slaves see. To the kingdom, Atemu always looked the part of perfection.

Washing complete, and shaking his head to be rid of excess water, Atemu turned back to the rest of the room, only to raise a bemused eyebrow at what he saw.

A young, wild looking boy was sat on the edge of his bed with his legs crossed, he was naked. He was always naked. His silver skin appearing delicious in the morning sun, and beautiful dark purple eyes looking right back at him through strands of long silky hair.

Atemu hummed, Yuugi only rarely took on his truest form without Atemu telling him to, and that could only mean one thing. Atemu licked his bottom lip, his blood suddenly running much hotter.

His little demon was in the _mood_.

Yuugi never took his gaze from Atemu as the Pharaoh's eyelids lowered in desire, the rich ruby colour of his eyes turning a smouldering scarlet. Atemu stalked back to their bed, leaning down and placing a hand on either side of Yuugi's thighs. He moved closer until their noses just barely touched, Yuugi titled his head back a little and sighed a sweet, hot breath that skated across Atemu's cheeks and made an excited shiver run down his spine. Yuugi's cat-like eyes turned smoky and inviting, just _asking_ Atemu to pin him down and ravish him.

Atemu tilted his head a little to the left, the tension between them an electric charge that could set the very air flaming, it was always a game to see who could last the longest. Before it turned into a game of who would come out on top.

Atemu gave in, there were few games where you didn't mind being the looser, and this was certainly one of them. Their lips brushed in a caress lighter than a feather's touch, before parting just slightly. There was a heated pause.

Their lips touched again more boldly this time. Pressing together and not moving apart, eyes now shut, their kiss grew into a gentle rhythm of pressing and pulling, partially opening their lips to add little nips and caresses. Yuugi didn't move much other than his mouth, even when Atemu's hand moved from the bed to his bare thigh, the dusky fingers tracing a massaging pattern towards the inner side where the skin was softest and most sensitive. But a soft sigh escaping from perfect lips certainly caught Atemu's attention.

Before long Atemu found himself over Yuugi, who had been pushed on his back, as slim, talented fingers tangled Atemu's hair as they kissed. Desire building and boiling in his body, the Pharaoh's hands ran over Yuugi's stomach, caressing and massaging, as the demon's abdomen quivered at the attention. Sharp breaths filled the room and soon Atemu found that even the loose fabric of his sleeping cloth was too constricting, and as his eager hands quickly fought to remove the clothing Yuugi ducked his head under Atemu's chin, attaching heated lips and talented tongue to the skin of his neck, now salty with perspiration. Atemu inhaled sharply, tilting his head back to expose more skin as Yuugi's delicious mouth travelled down and across his collarbone.

Atemu finally managed through all the distractions to rip the clothing from himself, throwing it to the side and diving back down to re-capture Yuugi's mouth, wrapping his arms around the demon's back and pressing their bodies together. The sensation of so much heated skin made them gasp through the kiss, and Yuugi's arms lifted up to twine themselves around Atemu's broad shoulders, sharp nails digging into the bronze skin. Atemu bit onto Yuugi's lip, bringing them both a pained pleasure that caused Yuugi's body to arch up and into him.

With a grunt of surprised pleasure Atemu pressed back down eagerly, their damp hair mixing together as a gentle rocking began that stimulated their sexes to almost unbearable desires. Atemu grunted into Yuugi's mouth, feeling his hardness press against the silken flesh of Yuugi's stomach made the muscles in his arms almost give way. Yuugi's hands lowered to the cheeks of Atemu's behind, increasing the pace of their rocking to frantic and needy.

The kisses broke and Atemu threw his head back with a gasp, his eyes closed and body still rocking subconsciously as Yuugi's hands squeezed his flesh and sent a thick bolt of lust rushing to his groin. Atemu bit his lip as Yuugi began kissing his throat ravenously, arching his back and pressing his hips down onto Yuugi's, their damp flesh creating a friction as they rolled and rocked in sync.

A dance that was as familiar to them as breathing.

A loud pounding on Atemu's doors shattered the atmosphere of heat and passionate breathing, and interfered with the existence of pure sensation. Atemu growled in anger as Yuugi stilled.

"My Pharaoh? Where are you?"

"Your cousin really _can_ ruin a morning." Yuugi said, his voice dangerously vexed.

"I swear I'll kill him." Atemu growled.

Yuugi hummed, "That's a sexy image, will there be blood?"

Atemu chose not to answer Yuugi's sometimes disturbing thirst for violence, instead shouting at the door, "Seth this better be important!"

"Sire, the court is waiting to begin."

"Oh, for the love of – " Atemu grunted as Yuugi bit into the base of his throat with a sharp little pair of canines, distracting him from Seth's interruptions. "The pissing court can wait until I'm ready, Seth, now leave!"

"But Si – "

"That's an order!" Atemu's voice almost broke as Yuugi, who had been previously still, rolled his hips again. Breathing heavily as his desire sparked fiercely again, Atemu barely heard Seth's retreat, his attention focused solely on Yuugi's almost surreal presence.

Yuugi grinned smugly against the skin of Atemu's neck, tightening his grip around Atemu's lower waist, voice eager as he muttered, "Now?"

Atemu nodded quickly, "Now."

A surge of pleasure rushed through him, making Atemu's fist's clench in the sheets and a moan escape his throat, as Yuugi finally pushed up against that all important spot.

-

It wasn't too much later in the morning when Atemu found himself stood sulkily in his dressing chambers, holding his arms out parallel to his body as the royal dressers garbed him and clicked numerous and various pieces of heavy gold jewellery onto his person. His body was relaxed with the after effects of pleasure, but the memory of being interrupted still made him a little sour. Forcing his face to relax, Atemu closed his eyes and let the kohl artist paint large amounts of thick black kohl over his eyelids, stretching to his temples and upper cheeks. Atemu opened his eyes when it was done and felt his cloak settle over his shoulders and be clicked into place under the golden neck and shoulder piece, the servants bowed deeply upon the completion of his appearance and backed away from his person, still bent over in reverence.

Seth approached him, also bowing but not as deeply, with his golden crown on an intricate platter and cloth. Atemu scowled at the top of his cousin's head, still a little angry from the previous interruption, and took the crown, settling the heavy gold band around his head and arranging his hair comfortably around it. When he had done, he strode wordlessly around Seth, who then straightened and followed just behind him.

Atemu stopped by an elbow high niche in the wall, looking down and holding out his arm once again. The cobra-Yuugi hissed gently, and uncoiled himself from the niche, leisurely slinking up the Pharaoh's arm and wrapping loosely around his shoulders.

The servants of the palace watched with discreet fascination. Only the Pharaoh and his priests knew who and what Yuugi was, to the rest of the kingdom he was a mysterious almost god-like snake that provided their king with a divine protection.

Atemu lifted his hand up to eye level, bringing the snake's head up with his fingers until Yuugi's forked tongue flickered out to brush just barely over his bottom lip. The cobra's violet eyes flickered with amusement, the room stayed silent.

"Seth." Atemu said coolly.

"Sire?" The High Priest responded diligently.

"I do not appreciate being rushed." The King kept his eyes on the snake, "We may be cousins, but do not take such liberties again."

There was a pause until Seth responded, "Yes, My Pharaoh."

Atemu smirked as Yuugi let another hiss escape, knowing it was a laugh, "Good. Then I think it's time to open court to the public."

Letting Yuugi's smooth chin go, Atemu strode out of the chamber, letting the others follow behind him. Yuugi's scales smoothed over his skin, and tightened around his neck, a silent message to his Master, who understood well enough.

It was a reminder of exactly who owned who.

-

**AN: **This is more of a preview chapter than anything since 'King' has turned out to be less of a one-shot and more of a chaptered fic. Nevertheless there should only be about five chapters, hopefully. So yes, this is to see if people like it. It took forever to write due to my fear of getting anything wrong after so many people requested it.

Oh, and yes, to those that have read the Bartimaeus Trilogy, there are some major similarities because a long, long time ago this was meant to be a kind of parody idea before it took on a life of it's own. Also, there are some touches from the game Golden Sun, since I love their Djinn.

So review if you like it and I shall continue!

Next Chapter:

_Meti thrust a hand forward, a shaking finger pointed with misplaced righteousness at the rearing cobra on the Pharaoh's arm, shouting: "Destroy it!"_

_The sphere of liquid earth wobbled for a moment, as if reluctant, before barrelling forwards. Landing on the long, wide table it shifted into the shape of a large gargoyle within the blink of an eye, never pausing in its relentless charge towards the Pharaoh in a jagged gallop that would have terrified any normal man._

_Its rock claws gouged the stone table, feral snarls bubbling in its dry throat. With only a metre to go to it leapt, lunging for the King with murderous, hungry eyes._

_Atemu closed his eyes._

Review People!


	2. Part Two

**AN: **Okay everyone, I forgot to mention this in part one. I do not consider myself even an amuture Egyptoligst, what tiny little facts I am using I am dredging up from when I was younger and what I remember back from when I used to watch documentaries like crazy and some of the stuff on Egypt I actually read. Some stuff has been very briefly looked up, but not enough to be entirely creable. The rest I'm making up as I fumble along, kay?

Also, Yuugi starts off as a bit of an arse, so be warned. He gets better though.

**King**

**Part Two**

Malik swallowed heavily as the doors to the great throne room, the heart of the royal palace, opened to him. Wringing his hands, he stepped forward, following the two guards that lead him up the long stone pathway flanked regularly on either side by magnificently tall and thick stone columns.

They halted, forcing Malik to a stop, before the start of a vast set of steps ascending so high it seemed they would vanish into the shadows of a ceiling so tall it gave a person the feeling of reverse vertigo. But in all reality the steps were not so high as the ceiling and Malik, had he been allowed to look up, would have seen the flat platform atop where sat a mortal god upon his magnificent throne.

The three of them dropped to their knees and bowed, touching their foreheads to the ground before the king. The court was alive with a constant low murmuring from scribes, servants, priests, and various members of the nobility (the slaves did not speak), but that did not disperse the oppressing feel the room had on an outsider.

"Great Pharaoh, announcing the arrival of the head Tomb-Builder Malik." One of the guards spoke loudly and officially, raising his gaze only to the steps while addressing the king.

The High Priest, stood to the Pharaoh's left, was the one that spoke, "Welcome, Malik, what tidings do you bring of the new tomb's construction?"

Malik raised his head, glancing up the high steps through the safe cover of his thick hair. The High Priest Seth, one of the tallest men Malik had ever seen, was stood dutifully by the left arm of the royal throne, garbed in robes of deep blue and glittering with heavy ornaments of gold. And in the centre of a great sun of gold and jewels, was the throne, and upon it sat the Morning Star of Egypt, his posture one of lazy boredom. Around his shoulders (Malik couldn't repress the shiver) was the silver plumed cobra that excited whispers and myths around the country. The demon, the god, the enchanted serpent their King was never seen without. It was enough to make beads of sweat gather on Malik's forehead.

"It goes well, My Lords." Malik spoke firmly; he was summoned here twice in every cycle of the Nile's flood, and it was still all he could do not to falter in front of the terrifying presence that was not simply the Pharaoh's gathered court, but the power that radiated from the King himself, and the air of mysterious darkness that came from the cobra. "Construction remains on time, virtually no difficulty from the slaves; their death toll has been unusually low as of late and as such the preparation of material for His Majesty's tomb is well ahead of schedule. The keystones up to the fourth layer have been laid and secured, we are currently beginning work on the fifth level, as the fourth is now almost complete. We hope to have it secured by the next harvest."

"Are there any concerns to report?" Seth asked him, otherwise extremely pleased by Malik's successful progress; previous builders had been less than satisfactory in their schedule keeping and slave control. Glancing to the side, Seth checked to see if his cousin was paying any attention to the report. The construction of the Pharaoh's Tomb was, after all, of paramount importance to Atemu's journey to the afterlife, if anything went wrong then it would be Atemu that suffered, not them. But with a surge of annoyance Seth saw that his younger cousin wasn't even _trying_ to appear interested, instead he and that _demon_ were making eyes at each other. The cobra seemed to have hypnotised Atemu, there was an almost drugged smile on his lips as the snake flickered its poison tongue over the Pharaoh's ear and slinked its body continuously around Atemu's shoulders.

For a moment, Seth was transported back to their childhood, and angry jealousy consumed him. Not once in his life had he ever seen Atemu without his demon protector. As a child prince, Atemu had clung to Yuugi like a normal child would cling at a doll for emotional support and protection; even Atemu's mother had come second to Yuugi. And now, even as a man, Atemu was wholly given to the creature his soul was bound to, never giving up that childhood doll. Growing up, Seth didn't know who he had hated more. Atemu or Yuugi. Jealousy of Atemu for being so lucky as to be gifted a djinn with such power, for not even having to _try_ in life to find strength; it had always been there in the shape of the creature that followed him like a shadow, everything he could ever want given to him on a silver platter. But he hated Yuugi too. Atemu had always thought the world and more of his partner, but Yuugi's emotions had never been quite so kind. Up until a few years ago, Yuugi had disliked Atemu; he was cold and distant despite Atemu's touchy feely nature when it came to him. Reluctant to serve and be controlled, Yuugi had been, and often still was, cunningly manipulative. But to this day Atemu never seemed to notice. Seth had hated both of them, Atemu for being so weak, and Yuugi for serving such weakness. If only Yuugi had been given to him at birth…

"Nothing worth My Lord's attention." Malik replied, snapping Seth away from his memories.

Seth opened his mouth to dismiss Malik with wishes for this continued good fortune, but Atemu beat him to it. Seth felt his irritation twitch again.

"And how goes the statues, Malik?" Atemu spoke leisurely, but his voice still managed to command attention from the court.

Malik hesitated; the Pharaoh had recently commissioned two new statues. One, the larger, was to be erected before the entrance of his tomb. The second smaller one was to be placed within the inner burial chamber where the sarcophagus would lie. On top of the tomb building, they would take a lot of work, as even the smaller one was as tall as four men, and encrusted with gold and jewels. The other would be even bigger, as tall as twenty men but only made of bare, carved stone.

The Pharaoh wanted a twin pair of cobras to protect him even into death.

"They are still being designed, Great Pharaoh, it will take possibly another twelve cycles of Ra until – "

"Not good enough, Malik. I want them started before the harvest. And I want the inner one to be ready for inspection by the next flood."

Malik bit his lip as his fists shook; that was hardly enough time! They would not be able to beat the gold to shape that fast when they didn't even know the exact shape yet! Worry and close panic consumed him, if they didn't have it ready in time the Pharaoh would consider him a failure, he knew that. The Morning Star had no use for failures.

And yet there was nothing he could do but agree.

"Yes, My Lord." He was soon dismissed, and with another reverent bow, he was lead by the guards out of the throne room.

Halfway there he was stopped again.

"Malik." The Pharaoh's voice.

"At your service, Great Son of Horus." He bowed again from where he was.

"Make sure the smaller cobra has purple jewels for eyes."

Malik gulped. Another strain on his overstressed back. He now understood for real that the Pharaoh was expecting the statues to have the same appearance and magnificence as the demon god that hung around his neck.

"Of course, My Lord. It will be done."

He was dismissed.

-

Atemu raised a hand to rub at his temple where a slow pounding headache was beginning to form. Court was boring enough, afternoon private council with his priests was even worse. Yuugi was practically asleep, coiled around his shoulders like an elaborate necklace, his narrow head tucked into the crook of Atemu's neck. He had long since grown used to Yuugi's cobra form around his neck, and the weight was comforting, but not a guard against boredom. As important as this council was, he just wasn't in the mood today. The morning's pleasure seemed distant now, replaced with circular discussions of magic control and a recent minor uprising from the peasants in Lower Egypt.

To make matters worse, Seth was brooding. Atemu could only imagine that this was due to the reprimanding he had given this morning. His cousin, as loyal and dedicated as he was, had never taken well to being spoken to like he was beneath someone.

Atemu smirked, well that was tough, he had promoted Seth to probably the second most important position in the kingdom as a family favour, but he could just as easily _de_mote him too.

A sudden commotion erupted just outside of the sealed room, Atemu moved his gaze to the door with muted curiosity, leaning his chin on the backs of his knuckles. The debate around him fell silent as the priests paused to join him in frowning at the door.

A short blasting sound echoed from outside, followed by loud shouting. Atemu raised an eyebrow in interest, while a number of his priests stood from their seats in alarm. That blast was the sound of a magical charge being released. Who in their right mind would be using destructive magic within the palace? Only the Pharaoh, his priests and their apprentices were allowed to practice magic, although that didn't mean that those with a natural talent weren't born to a normal family. Had someone broken in to the palace using this magical talent?

_Or has a little apprentice boy gone awry._

Atemu scowled to the idea, Yuugi had hissed the possibility into his mind with an unmistakable smirk in his voice. The demon already knew what and who was outside, and knew what was in store for them. Atemu could sense Yuugi's building excitement; he had always liked a game.

With a loud crack, the stone doors were flung open, revealing a scorch mark and a partial fracture on the stone of the outer side of the door. And an adolescent male dressed in tousled robes, panting with exertion, sparks of light still crackling over his outstretched arms.

A pair of golden armbands fashioned into snakes identified him as an apprentice.

"Meti!" Kalim, keeper of the Scales, copied many of his fellows in standing. His shock was evident: Meti was his apprentice.

"Master, forgive me." Meti was breathing heavily, his gaze was fixed on the Pharaoh, "But I cannot stand by while a demon sits so comfortably on Egypt's throne."

"What are you talking about, boy? Be silent and return to your sister!" Kalim snapped; if Meti didn't stop whatever he was attempting now, then the consequences would be dire.

"Master, I know! I know what that creature is." He gestured towards the immobile snake, "You have tried to hide it from me but I found it, I found the secret. That snake is no god! It is a demon, one of the Djinni. And it controls our King!"

"Oh dear, Meti, that _is_ an accusation to make." Seth, who had never liked the boy or his twin sister, interrupted from his seat on the Pharaoh's left side. "It's certainly a good job those guards are too unconscious to hear your words."

"I don't care about the guards, the whole palace must hear of this atrocity! I will not stand by in fear like the rest of you and let this creature take away the divine right the Gods gave to us!" Meti's voice was constantly rising in volume and conviction. Kalim groaned; Isis rested a consoling hand on his arm, Meti was now directly insulting the Son of Horus.

Atemu had not moved from his position, his chin still resting on his hand, his elbow propped up on the chair's arm. Languidly, Yuugi lifted his head from Atemu's neck and looked at the boy. His forked tongue licked the air.

"You wish to challenge me for my right to rule?" Atemu asked.

"Not you, My Pharaoh, the manipulating demon." Meti was almost feverish; there was something in his eyes that spoke of a confidence he had not previously held.

"By challenging him you challenge me." Atemu responded coolly, and jerked his gaze meaningfully to the right.

Wordlessly, Mahado and Shada left their places at the table, moving around the skittish boy and closing the door. It sealed again, now no one would know.

At last Atemu moved, sitting up he stretched out an arm towards Meti, the cobra pulled itself out of the coil around his neck and travelled down the arm, twining around it like a stretched out spring. When it reached Atemu's wrist it reared, silver hood unfurling.

Meti's laugh was short and slightly hysterical, "You think you can scare me, demon? The divine are not the only ones who can summon your kind!"

A sudden ripple of doubled tension went through the room. Could Meti mean what they thought he meant?

Kalim paled, "Meti! Stop this! You don't know what you're doing!"

"I found it, Master." Meti rushed out, "I found the literature, the documents, you hid from us. And I did it. It worked." He spread his arms, his eyes lit with fever, "Come, Jomei!"

The demon name rattled throughout the room, Kalim collapsed back in his chair and covered his face with his hands with a pained noise. In his mind, Atemu heard Yuugi's amusement. Djinni could immediately gauge other djinn's power through their name. Atemu closed his eyes for a moment, regretting Meti's fate.

The stone before the boy's feet seemed to turn into liquid, a sphere of stone and earth rising out of it like a great droplet of water. An Earth Djinn. While certainly not weak in any sense of the word, the Earth Djinni were probably the easiest type to summon due to their already very solid presence in the earth. And coupled together with Yuugi's amusement, Atemu did not think highly of Meti's becoming ever more obvious level of power. The djinni must be of a low level.

Meti thrust a hand forward, a shaking finger pointed with misplaced righteousness at the rearing cobra on the Pharaoh's arm, shouting: "Destroy it!"

The sphere of liquid earth wobbled for a moment, as if reluctant, before barrelling forwards. Landing on the long, wide table it shifted into the shape of a large gargoyle within the blink of an eye, never pausing in its relentless charge towards the Pharaoh in a jagged gallop that would have terrified any normal man.

Its rock claws gouged the stone table, feral snarls bubbling in its dry throat. With only a metre to go to it leapt, lunging for the King with murderous, hungry eyes.

Atemu closed his eyes and felt the earth's cool breath across his checks.

The claws never touched him. With a quiet sigh, Atemu opened his eyes again. The gargoyle was frozen in mid-air, a snarl frozen in its throat. Yuugi hadn't moved, but his amethyst eyes were glowing a hot white gold. The silver scales of his hood shimmered.

"Jo-Jomei!" Meti shouted, a little panicky, "Destroy it! That's an order Jomei!"

But the gargoyle did not move, could not move. Yuugi reared up higher, and opened his mouth. Fangs like pearl daggers glittered in the torchlight, the gargoyle's body began to fizzle and dissolve into thick mist.

"Jomei!" Meti's voice was loud and fearful now, as the body of his summoned djinn became nothing more than brown fog. The fog trembled for a moment, before beginning to float towards Yuugi. And into his open mouth. The cobra swallowed all of it, ingesting the magic and energy into himself, before closing his mouth like a slow trap. The glow in his eyes faded.

Meti stood in shock, eyes wide and unseeing. Seth leaned forward resting his forearms on the table conversationally.

"Meti," the High Priest spoke calmly, "Did you actually finish reading that literature you found, or did you just stop in excitement the moment you found the name of a demon to summon?"

Meti took a step backward, "W-what? I, well, I – "

Atemu let go of another sigh, "Forgive me for this, Kalim."

Kalim had not yet pulled his hands from his face, "It must be done, My Pharaoh. Just I beg you, be quick."

Atemu nodded, and silently, Yuugi slid off his arm and onto the table. Meti's eyes were fixed on the snake, for as it progressed along the table, some trick of the eye seemed to make it seem bigger and bigger.

But as the cobra reached the end of the table where he stood, Meti realised it was no trick and that the snake rearing before him really was the length of ten men and that those fangs really had become as thick and long as a man's arm.

Frozen in fear, he didn't move when the snake towered above him with a hiss that was surely loud enough to be a waterfall, great eyes trained towards him, and a mouth large enough to swallow him whole.

To Yuugi's great disappointment, Meti didn't even scream.

-

Before Prince Atemu's coronation, the demon-god cobra's appearances had been rare. The young Prince preferred creatures more suited to being cuddled, or ones better equipped at hiding themselves in pockets or folds of cloth.

The Queen scowled down at her son, anger and irritation etched into her face, even at eight years old, the boy had yet to show any interest in his duties. Her husband stood beside her with a similar expression.

"Your teachers tell us you have been absent all of the day, my son," She spoke evenly, "Where have you been?"

Atemu looked down at the floor and twisted his fingers together, "Nowhere, Mother."

Her temper sparked, "You snuck out of the palace again, didn't you?"

Her son's head shot up, his eyes wide with the expression of a child caught red-handed, "Mother, no, I didn't. Honest."

She bristled, "Do _not_ lie to your parents, Atemu, _especially _not your Father. You have been out in the city with the beggars and street rats, why do you willingly lower yourself to their level? Don't you understand how easily they could harm you? You put the whole kingdom at risk!"

Atemu's shoulders raised protectively, his ruby eyes shimmering with water, his Mother had always been uneasy about his eye colour, she believed it was evidence of the evil magic done upon him as a baby, "I wouldn't get hurt Mother, even if I did go, Yuugi would kill them first."

Her eyes moved from her son's face to the demon and her angry gaze turned furious; how dare it sit there on her son's shoulder as if it belonged there? It was currently shaped like a white mouse, perching neatly on Atemu's bare shoulder with its little claws and long tail helping it balance. That creature was the source of all her problems, she knew, it was the reason her son never paid any attention to what was important, it was why Atemu could practically vanish and reappear whenever he wanted.

_It_ was the thing that had stolen her son's love from her before she even had a chance to gain it.

Quickly, she lunged and snatched the demon up by its mouse's tail, Atemu cried out and grabbed for the mouse with small hands, missing when Yuugi was lifted out of his reach.

"Mother, please!" Atemu begged, reaching up beseechingly for the demon.

"_You!_" She hissed with loathing, ignoring her son and lifting the mouse to eye level, it hung there, upside down as if nothing had happened. It's long whiskers twitched as if in an innocent '_Me?_'. She hated this creature.

"Tell the truth, I know you can speak! Did you persuade my son to walk willingly into danger? Did you tempt him into your wishes without a _thought_ to his own?!" She shouted, her anger no longer containable to normal words.

The mouse hung there for a moment, all white fur and large-eyed innocence. Then the violet eyes glittered, and a roar pierced her ears with sound and her heart with fear.

The mouse erupted into a lion inches from her face. Falling on her and pinning her to the floor with paws the size of her chest and claws like razors, she could see the teeth that framed her face and her cheeks were damp with the heat of its breath.

"Yuugi!" Atemu yelled in fear, but his voice was almost lost under the sound of the lion's roar and his Mother's scream.

Then light erupted from nowhere, and filled the room with its golden intensity. Yuugi was pushed away from the woman, the pads of his paws skidded across the floor to stop himself as the light faded.

As it retreated Atemu saw the source of it was the Sennen Puzzle around his Father's neck, the light roped itself back into the golden eye at the centre and vanished. The Pharaoh glared at the lion with crippling force as he helped the Queen to her feet, she clung to his arm for support.

"Now, now," Yuugi purred, his voice silky and sly, "No need to get so excited. All cats like to play with mice." A fanged, half smirk was sent her way on the last word and he stalked slowly back towards them, stopping just behind Atemu, who didn't seem to know where to look.

"How dare you?" The Pharaoh snarled at the lion standing so close to his son, "And after we brought you here into the world."

Atemu felt Yuugi's demeanour change from playful to ice cold. His Father had said exactly the wrong thing. Yuugi didn't speak though; instead he kneaded the rug with his claws.

The Pharaoh appeared to make a conscious effort to calm himself. "Then you tell us, where does Atemu go when he vanishes? I know you go with him."

Yuugi, however, did not answer. Silence stretched on in ever more thickening seconds and no matter the Pharaoh's words, the djinn would not be moved to speak again.

Finally the Pharaoh turned his stern gaze to his Atemu, "Son, command your demon to answer."

A direct command from their master was not something a djinn could ignore, Yuugi would have to answer if Atemu asked him too. Atemu looked up at his Father, silently wishing he had never gone out at all. If Yuugi didn't want to answer then, surely, that was his business. He heard a quiet rumble reverberate from the lion's chest, the Prince dropped his gaze, he didn't want Yuugi to be angry with him by making him do something he didn't want to.

Atemu bit his lip, torn between duty, loyalty and love.

His Father exploded; shouting the Prince's full name in outrage, unable to believe his own son would dare to disobey him. Atemu gasped sharply, suddenly feeling very small and younger than the eight year old he was, as his Father loomed over him, no longer looking the benevolent man he usually was as Shadows danced in the King's expression.

The Pharaoh started forward, intending to _make_ his son listen to his authority. Out of a moment of terror, Atemu stepped backwards, his hand groping blindly behind him and gripping the thick golden mane of the lion behind him. Atemu whimpered, and out of reflex, his protection reacted.

Again, Yuugi roared. But this time there was so much ferocious power behind it that a gale picked up and blasted from him, forcing the Pharaoh to stop and brace himself, bringing his arms up to his face to shield himself and the Queen to grip the thick wooden bedpost for strength.

When the roar quietened to silence and the wind died down to calm air once again, the Pharaoh lowered his arms with a vicious look in his eyes.

Atemu looked at the bedraggled appearances of his parents and suddenly felt guilty, but he did not loosen his grip on Yuugi's mane.

"Atemu." His Father said quietly, questioning his son's actions.

Atemu shied away, raising his other hand to bite the thumb as his eyes filled with confused tears. Yuugi turned his large head Atemu's way and gently nudged the boy to start walking beside him as he strode towards the door. Atemu leaned into Yuugi's strong form and trotted along beside him, wanting to hide in his demon's thick mane and never have to face his parent's disapproving questions again.

Yuugi padded silently onwards, hearing Atemu's parent's demanding voices following them, commanding their son to return to them this instant. He felt a vicious satisfaction fill him.

Another bloodless battle complete, Yuugi's eyes narrowed and in the shadows of the tall columns that held the vast halls above them, a sly smile lifted the sides of his mouth, letting his sharp teeth glitter white. The idiot boy was all his, in the name of some human affection they called love.

He felt no affection for this land, but his desire for revenge had been sparked the moment they confined him here.

Soon, two would sit upon Egypt's throne, but the one that ruled certainly wouldn't be a man.

-

Many years into his reign, the Pharaoh still felt empty without Yuugi within constant reach. He was always edgy when the demon was sent away, even on quick errands.

Stood on the grand balcony, private but to the King and his priests, the six Item Keepers knew to be silent. Not only because their Pharaoh was snappy while the djinn was gone, but also because they awaited important, and possibly problematic news. The knowledge weighed down on their shoulders, and made the golden disk of the sun feel hotter than it should be. The sky was unusually laden with clouds; Ra himself was cautious today.

Kalim, still shaken from yesterdays events, and mourning the loss of one of his two promising apprentices, was staring dully at the balcony's railing, his hand absently toying with the tipping balance of the Sennen Scales. Isis had him pinned with a concerned gaze, but he had yet to notice her.

Mahado touched her hand with his, she sent him and reassuring smile, but her eyes told him they would need to speak later. It was not just Kalim's grief that worried her, or Meti's disobedience; it was all the small signs she kept seeing around her of a coming disturbance. Kalim's unconscious tipping of his scales was simply the most recent. Anxiously, Isis touched the eye of the Sennen Tauk around her neck, but she felt nothing from it, and it gave her no glimpses of what was to come.

So, nervously, the six priests stood in silence behind their Pharaoh, looking out onto the kingdom and the desert in the far distance. Heat played the air like an instrument; it rose from the city in waving lines where the sounds of thousands of people's daily lives rumbled like a quiet earthquake. A desert breeze lifted the Pharaoh's royal cape, drawing their gazes, the dark purple reminiscent of the djinn's eyes as its corners fluttered quietly.

A sharp screech split the thick air. Through the strings of heated air, a dark shape, small against the vast sky, had angled itself toward them. And despite the sudden spike of tension this brought between the priests, for with this shadow came the news they waited for, Atemu had to fight down a childish grin from the simple joy he felt towards Yuugi's return.

Yuugi had spent the last two hours scouring the surrounding desert and known carriageways from above, the idea being for the court to be given forewarning. A falcon could fly faster than a horse could run.

The shape grew larger, wings beating at the soup of blue air as if swimming, and then the bird came into sharper clarity. Every perfectly designed feather, each cunning black talon, swept into view, swooping once over the priest's heads, the falcon pivoted on a wingtip and alighted with faultless precision upon Atemu's outstretched fist. Yuugi, as his heritage dictated, had always been a natural in the air.

Yuugi folded his tired wings neatly and ruffled his feathers; Atemu bent his elbow, letting Yuugi hop onto his broad shoulder with minimal effort. There was a pregnant pause as the djinn teased them by preening his immaculate tail feathers with a sharp beak, rather than relaying the information he had brought to them.

To Seth's immense irritation, Atemu patiently waited until Yuugi had finished before asking for the results. His fist clenched around the Sennen Rod as, rather than tell all of them at once, Yuugi lowered his black and yellow beak to Atemu's ear and spoke only to him.

After what felt like far too long, Atemu, with Yuugi still perched on his shoulder, turned his back on the view of the city to address his priests.

"Isis's vision was correct." Atemu spoke with stern graveness that, Seth thought, finally managed to sound like the Pharaoh his cousin was, "The Nubians are on their way, only two days away."

-

**AN: **Thank you everyone who reviewed for the first chapter. Fifteen reviews! You guys are amazing. I may not be able to update again for a while as I'm going back to uni on Tuesday and we aren't going to have the internet until about mid-October, unless I use the library, but I'd rather not use the library for fanfiction really.

**Silver Huntress: **Heh, well lets just say I intended that half-lemon, and the others to come, to be different from the average Puzzleshipping smex. Oh the djinn? Well they appear in many different forms throughout mythology/stories/games etc. but in this AU Yuugi is more of a demon than a genie, though he isn't really either. For this little story they are best described as elemental spirits and a kind of demon sub-species. Within the elemental categories there are also categories of power levels, Yuugi is of the highest power level of the Air class. They reside in a kind of limbo between the 'real' world and some other plane and can be summoned, obviously, into temporary servitude to perform tasks. They have an overall influence/prowess over both magic and the elements (and shapeshifting since they have no fixed forms). They are immortal but can be killed while in the 'real' world. Heh, I think that was a load of rambling, and I haven't really entirely decided myself exactly what they are, but I hope that helped in some way?

Anyway, any questions you may have I'll be pleased to answer so Review you amazing people you!

Next Chapter

(Sorry, no actual preview this week, I've fallen behind in my writing and haven't yet actually written the bit that was going to be the preview.) Yuugi's more of an ass, a fourteen year old Atemu has his life changed in more way than one, there's more smex (eww, not the fourteen year old, the older Atemu), there's talk of a war somewhere and probably more death too, not entirely sure... Stay Tuned!

Review!


	3. Part Three

**AN:** A ridiculously long chapter for your amusment, my dears. I'm not sure if I like this chapter, the story feels like it's running away from me and going places I didn't exactly want it too, emphisising the parts I wanted to keep subtle and loosing things in the process that made it my little favourate. But, meh, not much I can do, 'coz I'm not starting again.

Oh, and before I forget: **LEMON WARNING!** There, now you have been warned.

**King**

**Part Three**

It was night when Atemu heard the news that changed his life, reshaping it with cold and merciless hands. The prince had only been fourteen when his father died, still so young and so inexperienced.

That night had changed them both.

Atemu was curled into a tight ball at the edge of his bed, sobbing as if his heart might break and he was feeling every crack that had opened in the vulnerable organ. He hadn't moved from that spot for hours now.

Yuugi had positioned himself in a shadowy upper corner of the room, opening and closing his elaborately patterned wings in agitation. Hanging almost upside down on the top of the wall, he had hoped that taking the shape of a butterfly would make the sound of the prince's distress lessen.

It had worked in that he couldn't hear the tears so well, and it had definitely managed to keep him out of sight and out of mind while the human had an emotional breakdown, but it hadn't helped his own tumbling and disjointed emotions.

Yuugi didn't know what he felt, and that was probably worse than any single emotion, at least that way he would be able to isolate the feeling and lock it away in a corner of his vast mind, but right now he couldn't identify what it was he should be isolating. There was guilt, jealousy, begrudging affection, anger and triumph all swirling together in a tempest of utter confusion that so disturbed him that (despite his ability with countless languages) he wasn't even able to find names for the rest of the emotions tossed into the storm.

For a brief moment a melancholy dream, a memory, rose up to meet him. The last time he had taken on this form he and Atemu had been in the gardens, many years ago now when the prince was barely nine. And it had been to amuse him; to cheer him up from the stress his parents were placing upon his small heart. In the light of the sun, feeling the light spray of water from the manmade waterfall in the air moisten his wings and hearing Atemu's laughter as he tried to catch the fast flittering butterfly, who was teasingly evading capture by weaving in and out of flowers and leaves, or circling his head.

Those times had been innocent, probably the only times in his life he had ever done something purely for someone else. The knowledge that he had enjoyed himself only confused him more. He hated this world; it tortured and tormented him, air djinni were never _meant_ to take on physical forms, it was only humans that could make them, with their manipulating magic and words stolen from the halls of Gods, do something that was as unnatural to them as it was for a fish to walk over coals. This world was not for them, and every minute spent here hurt every fibre of their being.

This was why djinn changed their shapes so often: it helped to alleviate the stress of their environment.

But despite the constant tugging Yuugi felt on his body, there were times where his mind was not focusing on his situation. Those times were rare, admittedly, but they did happen. He didn't understand himself anymore. He hated Atemu, honestly and truly, but he hated him in a sort of helpless way that was broken up with surges of selfish obsession towards the Prince, almost competing against the others for Atemu's attention.

His years, months, days were filled with ups and downs of confused fixation poisoned by the thrill of control and the constant boiling desire for vengeance.

Yuugi curled his long antennae inwards. No djinn he knew of had spent this long in the physical world. He knew djinn of his class had powers like wildfires, and in this state, it was sometimes hard to control them. What had he become, in his time here? Was the constantly fluctuating force that made up his own soul beginning, in some way, to infect his mind? He did not know the effect a First Class Djinni had in the long run on the world around it if it spent too long here: was it possible their own powers began to erode them away?

"Yuugi?"

Yuugi's attention was turned reluctantly away from his inner meditation as the pitiful sob reached him. The Prince was still crying heavily into his pillows and had not looked up, but he knew Yuugi was there, Yuugi was always there, and he wanted him nearer.

Yuugi fluttered his wings agitatedly; he did not want to answer. The Prince was being pathetic, laying there sobbing as if it were _he_ who had died in the night, as if his Father's death was the beginning and end of all things. He needed to get a hold of himself, and Yuugi had received his fill of comforting crying children when Atemu was an infant, he refused to do it now Atemu was reaching manhood. He hated human emotions; they were so alien to him.

Besides, it wasn't an order, he didn't have to anything if it wasn't an order.

Atemu clutched a fist over his heart and curled into a tighter ball, it almost looked as if something were being ripped from him. Yuugi curled his antennae tightly inwards, but nothing he did could block out the sound of Atemu's tear filled voice choking out his name in a desperate plea.

It was nothing more than a half order, if even that, but Yuugi could still feel the slight tug on his essence that was the magic that bound him to his Master's will. He told himself that little irritating tug was the reason he finally dropped from the corner of the room and flittered over to where Atemu lay. His large black and purple wings almost glided on the warm night air as he circled the boy's head, waiting for him to notice the butterfly gliding a few inches above him. Yuugi even landed on one of the vast pillows near Atemu's head, but still no reaction came.

If butterflies could frown, Yuugi would have. Atemu was more lost within himself than Yuugi had thought if he wasn't even noticing the close presence of the demon he was calling for. The boy would need something more substantial to break him out of his circling grief.

Yuugi briefly considered the cruel idea of taking Atemu's Father's shape, just to see how the Prince would react. But decided against it when realising that if Atemu reacted badly, it would be he who would have to then comfort him.

Yuugi paused. It had been fourteen years since he had been summoned to Atemu's side, sometimes he forgot how strangely time in the physical world passed. Had it really been that long since he had been nothing but the purest essence?

Atemu opened his bloodshot eyes when he felt something strange emanate from the side of his bed. Drained of energy from the hours of emotional torture, he shakily leaned up a little on his elbows and looked to his left and behind.

With wide eyes, a shout of surprise stuck in his worn throat, Atemu's fists clenched in his fine bed sheets. His mouth hung slightly open as he gazed in blank half-fear at the strange person stood at his bedside.

A young man with skin like cream and compellingly familiar sharp eyes, thick hair of gold and ebony hung about his narrow shoulders, and though his entire form held itself with lax security there was a half frown on his decidedly handsome features that seemed to speak of perplexed distrust.

Blood rushed to Atemu's cheeks when he realised the stranger was stark naked, and that the man didn't seem to either notice that fact or care.

The stranger said nothing, but a powerful familiarity radiated off him in waves to Atemu's mind. And as his heart was tripping over itself with noticing how incredibly beautiful he found this man, another part of him was staring at the split amethyst eyes already knowing who it was.

His grief partially forgotten in this new revelation, Atemu whispered, "Yuugi?"

The demon in human form gave a half nod, but said nothing. He was watching Atemu intently.

Atemu sat up, breathing heavily as a pressure headache began forming in his temples from having cried for too long, hesitantly, he asked, "But how?"

A pause, Yuugi lifted an elegant hand so that the palm faced the ceiling, "This is the closest form I can take that best represents my being. You have never seen it before."

Atemu leaned closer, fascinated, "Why? I thought I knew every – "

Yuugi's mouth twitched in a sneer he couldn't quite conceal, "You hardly know anything about me, _Master_."

Atemu flinched and looked down, silenced. He knew Yuugi had a quick temper when it came to information about himself, but he hadn't been able to control his curiosity. Somehow, Yuugi in this human form felt more intimidating than any of his animal shapes, the expressions on his face were easier to read, and Atemu couldn't deceive himself that the shadow in Yuugi's eyes wasn't contempt when he looked at him with a human face.

Yuugi schooled his expressions back into a neutral mask, "I do not take this form often because it is weak. The human form is entirely too vulnerable for any djinn to want to keep it for longer then they must."

Atemu looked up again from under his hair to see if Yuugi was still angry, but his demon seemed to have calmed himself and was stood with the same languid air as before. And in the pause of conversation, Atemu remembered why he had locked himself in his room and stayed awake until almost daybreak. He bit his lip as grief threatened to swallow him again, his trembling hands fisted in the sheets.

He felt a touch on his arm, Atemu looked up in surprise to see Yuugi stood very close to him, a pale hand resting on Atemu's bronze elbow. The Prince looked up at his childhood friend and felt tears flood his eyes; for once not caring how Yuugi would react, Atemu threw himself forward into the djinn's bare chest.

"Yuugi," Atemu sobbed into his chest, "Father. Father is…"

"He is dead, Master, I know." When the Prince's weeping increased in ferocity, Yuugi scowled over his small head towards the arching night sky outside the tall window, "You should not mourn him so, do you regret him passing into paradise?"

"No! No, I couldn't, I… But, Yuugi," Atemu's words were shuddery, forced out between great tear-filled gulps of breath, "He – what are we to do without him? How can I do this without him?!"

"You do not need him!" Yuugi snapped, taking a firm grip of Atemu's small shoulders he pulled him away so he could look down at the vulnerable, barely pubescent child, fixing those water-filled rubies with his own piercing stare, "You do not need anyone."

Yuugi leaned closer, saying his next sentence with a sharp, whispery confidence, "You have me."

Atemu's gaze never left his, his mind wholly focused on the demon before him, as if Yuugi had hypnotised or bewitched him. His heavy breathing shivered in his lungs, salty cheeks, flushed from crying, glittering in the torchlight. Yuugi's hands were hot on his shoulders, his words burning in his ears. The demon's beautiful face never softened, and this iron-like fortitude seemed unshakable, his power radiated off him in waves. It was almost heady.

There would be fewer times now, where the Prince could just be innocent in the way Yuugi had encouraged him to be (naïveté was always easier to manipulate), fewer times when Yuugi would be able to tempt him into shirking his duties in favour of the freedom of the streets and the desert beyond.

After all, Atemu was Pharaoh now. And Yuugi had a kingdom to run.

-

Atemu had always been good with a sword; he had taken to wielding a blade like birds took to air and fish to water. As Yuugi watched the young Pharaoh practice with his scimitar, the curved blade flashing deadly in the blazing heat of the Egyptian sun, he felt an almost smug satisfaction. Even growing up, few people had ever been able to best Atemu with the sword.

Although, saying that, Atemu had never actually been in a serious fight in which bloodshed was the forerunning of a kill. And no one, aside from Seth, had ever fought the Prince and dared to draw his blood.

"Come on, Seth! You've hardly given a strike yet!" Atemu's shout echoed from where he and the Priest were sparring, over the dusty slabs of pale gold stone, towards where Yuugi hung watchfully under a tree branch in the gardens, large ears swivelling constantly for unusual sounds that could herald danger. The Nubians were close to the city now, mere hours away.

Atemu's sandaled feet danced over the sand-dusted stone, almost weightless as he and Seth sparred with deadly skill, blades meeting, clashing, sparking loudly as they met in the air again and again.

Seth snarled at Atemu's comment, the King's smug grin grating on his temper, he swirled the blade as his opponent took a step to the left, and used the momentum of the curve to swing it up and around, the light weight throwing its own force into the intended strike. A sharp 'tang' reverberated through the steel into their hands as Atemu raised his sword to block mere millimetres from the skin of his chest. Swiftly, Atemu pushed the opposing blade away, and as Seth swung to catch his neck, he ducked and lunged, cutting a shallow slice out of the side of his cousin's thigh.

Seth acknowledged the strike with an angry yell, but did not flinch, turning, he pointed the scimitar towards the floor and stabbed down, missing the Pharaoh by a hair's width. Atemu laughed at the exhilaration and took a few light steps away from the livid Priest to give them room for the next round.

Yuugi's small eyes narrowed. Bats were never good with vision, but he could see that Seth, in his anger, was getting a little too carried away in his aim to land a real blow at last.

Seth always _had_ been the ambitious one, Yuugi was always careful with him.

As the fight before him continued, Yuugi felt a vaguely familiar aura flare oddly. Felling eyes on him, he turned his head towards the source, and saw a young girl sat on a low wall not far away quickly turn her gaze the other way. She should not have been able to recognise him in this form, an Egyptian fruit bat was not such a rare sight in the palace gardens. Yuugi sniffed the air, the girl reeked of magic, and there was something about her that felt…

Ah, now he knew her. She was the twin sister of that suicidal apprentice, Meti. He must have either passed some of his learnt knowledge onto her, or left her the scroll while he charged towards his demise. Yuugi watched her a moment longer before swivelling his head back to the fight. Upside down, Seth and Atemu's fight looked almost comical, but it was getting serious now. The girl may soon cause a commotion, but most likely nothing more impressive than her brother's attempt, it would be a shame for poor Kalim to lose both his apprentices so quickly, but humans never would learn from mistakes.

Yuugi's large wings stiffened, ready for action, when Seth, finally driven to the edge with Atemu's taunting, pointed his sword before him and charged, clearly ready to run his cousin through. His eyes glinted iron, like the storms over the distant Northern Seas that Yuugi remembered with fond clarity, and his hands and aim were deadly steady. The djinn steadied himself to intercept if Atemu didn't block in time.

But none of that was needed, a messenger came running through the training grounds, an urgent notice clutched in his hand. His shouting caused even Seth's rage to cool under a sharp reminder of rationality. The High Priest stopped his charge and, almost reluctantly, lowered his sword as Atemu wiped the tip of his blade of the last residues of Seth's blood and sheathed it, letting the messenger run up to prostrate himself before the King.

Yuugi twitched his ears forward and listened to the message as it was read out, Atemu's eyes widened then narrowed. The Nubian's had arrived at the city gates, they were currently negotiating safe passage into the city so their generals and emissaries could consult the Pharaoh, but Atemu's permission was needed for the arrangements to go forth. Atemu's eyes flickered over to Yuugi, knowing his demon was listening to every word and needing to council with him first.

Yuugi felt Atemu's decision to let the Nubians through, and gave him an affirmative push, locking them out would stain relationships between the two countries dangerously.

Atemu closed his eyes for a moment, and then sent the messenger back with his own message to let the foreigners in peacefully.

Turning to Seth, Atemu nodded. The High Priest bowed shallowly and they both returned their scimitars to the weapons master, whom was waiting with a small group of slaves to clean up after the King was done training. As Atemu and Seth began making their way into the palace, flanked by guards, Yuugi dropped from the tree branch. Spreading his great membrane-like wings, he flapped hard to gain altitude and swooped sharply upwards to enter the Pharaoh's private chambers where Atemu would meet him.

He knew without having to look, that the girl had watched his every move.

-

Atemu paced restlessly across the floor of one of his private rooms, his hair in disarray from the number of times he had run his hand through it nervously. He paused every few steps to stare intently at the finely beaten silver that reflected his appearance back at him.

"I did not expect their King to have come with them." Atemu said, speaking to the only other creature in the room.

Atemu had discarded his crown on the nearest available surface as soon as he was alone, wanting to be free of its weight so he could think. He turned to the falcon perched atop his crown to see if it would answer.

It did: "Nor did we expect them to travel with half their army. But they are here, we must figure out what it is they want."

Atemu chewed his lip. He had ruled for a number of years now, but never had he been faced with a situation like this. The Nubians had been on a rocky, but mostly peaceful relationship with Egypt for years, what on earth could they be planning if the King himself came with an embassy of several thousand soldiers?

"A direct war would be unwise," Atemu spoke to the falcon, "They are in the middle of our territory, with only a portion of their army. So he has come here to place pressure upon me for one reason or another."

"They want something." Yuugi agreed, "But, remember, we cannot mobilise our army in a matter of hours. There are many soldiers and guards within the city, but not nearly so many that his few thousand ready men would be easy pickings. He could strike quick and hard if we do not play our hand right, Master."

"Should I send word to begin mobilising the army?"

"No. The standing army should be enough to hold out if he strikes now, however, send word to the generals to stand by. The men must be aware of the situation."

Atemu nodded, "Yes, you are right. A lot of activity would look suspicious." Frowning he asked, "You don't think that the rest of the army is hiding in the desert do you? Ready at an order, and this is simply a farce?"

The falcon tilted its head, "Perhaps. Though I did not see any more men when I searched from the sky, they could be approaching from another direction at a slower pace." He ruffled and spread his angular wings, "Shall I look again, Master?"

Atemu shook his head a little frantically, "No, you are not to leave me at this time, he may have paid assassins or worse. I will have one of the Priests summon a few Low-class Air Djinn to search for you."

"Very well."

Atemu sighed wearily and sat ungracefully on the bed, he was due to meet the Nubain King in a few minutes, and he didn't think he'd ever had a meeting so nerve wracking as this.

"Father would have been better at this."

"Your Father had a great amount of experience behind him, you are still learning."

"The whole of Egypt could depend on this meeting, Yuugi! What if I have no idea how to respond to whatever demands he may have?"

Yuugi clicked his beak, "Then I will respond through you. You forget that he is only one mind, and we are two. And both of us are forces in our own right. If things begin to get out of hand, a djinni makes a much finer assassin than any paid human."

A knock resounded through the room before Atemu could respond; a guard's voice followed the knock, "My Lord, the council are ready."

Atemu took a deep, nervous breath, "I will be out momentarily."

"Yes, My Lord."

Atemu stood up and quickly tried to fix his hair again in the silver's reflection, before turning to Yuugi. As Atemu lifted his crown, the falcon jumped from it and flew to land on his shoulder.

"Which form shall I take, Master?"

"The cobra, as usual," Atemu replied while rearranging his crown, "No doubt they have heard the stories you have inspired, they will be expecting you."

Yuugi chuckled lowly before Atemu felt the falcon on his shoulder melt, cool scales roping comfortingly around his neck. Yuugi's forked tongue flicked over his ear, "Then I best not disappoint them."

-

"You know, Yuugi, I think that went well."

Light glimmered from the egg-sized diamond Atemu was dangling in mid air from its gold chain, splashing fantastic rainbows over wherever the refracted light touched. Atemu's smugly pleased expression was dusted in transparent reds and pinks, soft purples and deep blues as he held the priceless stone up for inspection.

Yuugi's sharp eyes moved to where the Pharaoh was sat lazing on his vast bed in a regal half-reclined pose with one elbow bent to support his upper body, his other hand was holding the necklace. Resisting the childish urge to roll his eyes, he returned his attentions to preening his fur.

It was amazing how quickly pretty things turned humans into pleased pools of putty.

The Nubian King had been very warm and friendly towards Atemu, so much so you'd think they'd been childhood friends. They had sat down and talked amiably for hours while Yuugi stayed alert and on guard, feeling some obscure and dark aura emanating from the old King. The feeling had been faint, as if hidden, but Yuugi could feel it, could taste it on the air with his cobra's tongue.

The Nubian King was hiding something.

The threat had been neither immediate nor deadly, so he had refrained from mentioning anything to Atemu, the boy didn't need such a thing weighing on his mind during a first meeting. Besides, that old man may have been hiding something sinister, but that did not mean it was directed towards them. He could well have been hiding numerous affairs from his first wife, or plotting the execution of traitors, or the murder of an undesired suitor for his daughter's hand.

Atemu smiled, the feeling of being victorious was a powerful, almost heady experience. He knew that it was only a preliminary meeting, and that the Nubian King's action of bringing so many men with him to Egypt directly contradicted his proposal of a closer and more peaceful relationship between their countries. But the simpering and the gifts the foreign king had given him were too sweet a desert for his ego. Perhaps the king had realised that attacking Egypt was hopeless now, after seeing all the new defences Atemu had put in, and all the soldiers trained under the regime Yuugi created from old djinn combat methods.

Perhaps just the rumours of Pharaoh Atemunhotep and his God-sent servant were enough to warrant the old man's proposals, while still causing him to fear enough for himself to bring so many soldiers.

Atemu licked his lips, the day's activities were over, and yet he was still very much awake. All day he'd been waiting for a moment of peace long enough to satisfy the niggling urge that had been at the back of his mind since he woke that morning to a naked Yuugi in human form asleep on his bare chest. His skin ached with the need to feel another's hands on him, touching, trailing, ghosting over sensitive flesh.

The magnificent gem twirled on its thick golden chain, the rainbow light casting spotted colours on Yuugi's black fur. The panther's shape distorted through the clear rock into many shapeless black vestiges. Atemu let the necklace slip from his dark fingers and onto the bed. Slipping off the luxurious sheets he sauntered over to where his 'divine' companion was lazing, a long black tail swishing two and fro as a rough tongue swept over a paw the size of his chest.

Yuugi gave no indication that he realised Atemu had moved, but Atemu knew better, lowering himself to his knees on the pile of rugs and pillows Yuugi had commandeered for himself, he settled down just behind the panther's shoulder. Atemu started by burying his fingers into the thick fur around Yuugi's neck, splaying his hands and taking rough handfuls of the scruff in a massaging gesture. Pressing himself against the panther's side, Atemu nuzzled the warm body, brushing his cheek over the soft fur.

Pitching his voice low, the Pharaoh half growled his next word under the onslaught of desire as his mind pictured what was surely soon to follow: "Yuugi."

Yuugi purred low in his chest, his whole chest rumbling as Atemu's needy voice reached his ears. Placing his paw back down, he turned his great head to meet Atemu's lustful gaze, the dark scarlet irises sent pleasured tingles down his spine. Yuugi dislodged Atemu's grip as he sat up, but the Pharaoh merely shifted so that he could wrap his arms around the demon's neck and bury his face in Yuugi's throat, reminding Yuugi of a kitten pleading for a full bowl of cream.

Baring his teeth in a smirk, Yuugi pushed Atemu away, placing a paw over the King's chest, he pressed down. Atemu ran his tongue over his bottom lip as Yuugi pressed him into the pillows below, the deadly paw placed over his chest shifted and shrank, becoming a pale human hand.

Now in human shape, Yuugi took a short moment to admire the King lying on his back below him, flushed and needy and delicious, dark lips parted to take in deep breaths of warm air. He lowered himself and kissed those lips greedily, Atemu's desire crossing the bonds between them and sparking the same emotion in Yuugi.

Atemu raised his hands and took hold of Yuugi's head, palms pressed against his cheeks, urging Yuugi onwards by opening his mouth and moaning quietly as the demon's tongue brushed his. Delicious, almost painful sparks that reminded Atemu of the streaks of light that lit storm clouds, shot through him from the touch of Yuugi's supple mouth. Atemu shuddered when Yuugi's hands moved from the stone on either side of his body, to the over-eager skin of his stomach and chest. Atemu felt the touch burn him even through the layer of lavish fabric that separated them.

The Pharaoh decided then and there, that he was forced to wear way too many clothes.

Yuugi smirked as Atemu suddenly broke the kiss and half-sat up, hastily removing from himself all items of clothing and the remainder of his jewellery, he _was_ eager tonight. Briefly, he wondered what it was that had gotten Atemu so impatient, but the thought was stolen from him as a now fully naked king threw his arms around the djinni's shoulders and yanked him back into a deep kiss, pressing their bodies together so that when they moved or even breathed, their flesh moved against the other's perfectly.

The next few minutes passed to Atemu in a blur of heat and sensation, Yuugi's mischievous hands exploiting all the well known spots that both knew would turn Atemu helpless with pleasure. A clever tongue making cool circles across Atemu's dark chest, sharp nails leaving reddened half-moons over his back and sides, and constantly gyrating hips that had them both letting loose, heavy sighs of desire-laced air.

Sighing as a slim hand found the inner side of his thigh, Atemu propped up his knee and parted his legs so that Yuugi could settle comfortably between them. This was a side that not even the court knew about; this was the sin that Atemu craved half-guiltily, half-revealingly, but always eagerly, every morning, day and night. Seth probably had the most inclination to assume stranger things happened between the king and his demon when alone, but Atemu doubted even his cousin knew the extent. He had been intimate with Yuugi since his sixteenth, when his hormones finally got so demanding that he had kissed the demon uncaring of the consequences, and he'd never looked back.

Because he was happiest in these moments where the whole world outside of their bubble melted away. Would he ever take a wife to be queen? Atemu knew, given the choice, he would not. He doubted any good would come of it anyway, sex with anyone other than his soul-bonded djinni, who knew him literally inside and out, was a repulsive idea to him.

Atemu tilted his head back and sighed deeply when two of Yuugi's cool fingers trailed a burning line from his leaking tip down between the hot cheeks of his behind, reaching his entrance and, finally, pushing them slowly inside. Yuugi watched Atemu's face intently throughout the journey his fingers made; greedily lapping up the needy expressions he had caused to cross Atemu's features.

Atemu opened his eyes, not knowing when he had closed them, to meet Yuugi's midnight eyes, mysteries and dark emotions like stars in his irises. He wanted Yuugi to show his feral side, he'd had enough of this gentle touching. Keeping his eyes locked to Yuugi's he openly let the demon see everything; every swell of pleasure as Yuugi's oh, so talented fingers did their magic, and every defiant lust-filled challenge to see how fast he could make them scream.

Atemu was rewarded by a low growl so akin to the panther that it made a shiver of exhilarating fear go through him. Yuugi's lips parted so that his sharp white teeth hooked slightly over his bottom lip; Atemu tilted his head back with a moan as Yuugi weakened the magic that kept his fingers slick and forced them in deep enough to press against the spot just to the left that made the Pharaoh moan and shudder in violent pleasure.

Then, they were gone.

Atemu opened his fogged eyes confusedly when the feeling inside vanished. Yuugi was hovering above him, with his hands on the rich cinnamon-coloured hips, eyes like searchlights, waiting, giving Atemu the next move.

Unable to resist, Atemu leaned up and pressed his parted lips against Yuugi's, sighing into the kiss when the demon's hands slid up from his hips to his shoulder blades, holding them flush against each other as Atemu deepened the kiss eagerly. While the demon's electric kiss once more assaulted his senses, the Pharaoh sat up, pulling Yuugi to the side with the weight of his body until he was the one above.

Their damp skin brushed together like warm silk as Atemu repositioned them, taking Yuugi's wrists and pushing them down into the bed of pillows, hooking his leg over, Atemu settled down onto Yuugi's hips, leaning forward and pressing himself into the soft abdomen, moaning into the kiss he pressed to his demon's lips.

_His_ demon. He'd always liked that.

"Yuugi." He whispered in a momentary break in their kiss, asking for what he knew the demon wanted to give.

Yuugi bent his knees up so that Atemu leant against them when he reluctantly pulled his lips away and straightened enough so that he had to let go of Yuugi's wrists. The demon's elegant hands moved to rest on his hot thighs, sharp nails lightly digging into the flesh, ready to grip harder.

Anticipation bubbling in his stomach, Atemu reached behind and below, easily finding the large erection ready and waiting for him. Yuugi stayed still, letting Atemu do it his way at his pace, his cat-like pupils narrowing in restrained pleasure at the sensation of Atemu's hot hand on him, holding him as an even hotter pleasure slowly engulfed him with the sound of Atemu's hitched breath.

"Look at me." The djinni said suddenly, his voice hard in the quiet night.

Atemu heeded the order without thinking, dark ruby eyes finding Yuugi's and giving the demon an open view of Atemu's lust and sometimes pain-sparked pleasure. Yuugi wetted his lips with his tongue to keep from gasping or growling. And then Atemu was finally sat flush against his hips, half-lidded eyes not seeing, he panted and rocked against Yuugi's hips, already needing more than just the sensation of being filled.

Still meeting the ravenous eyes of his demon, Atemu lifted himself up a little on his knees, then with a gasp, lowered himself again, feeling Yuugi slide deeper within him. It was a familiar, addictive sensation as delicious as wild honey. Pausing to savour the moment, Atemu lowered his hands to where Yuugi's rested against his lightly quivering thighs, wanting to entwine their fingers together. But Yuugi's nails pressed into his skin, and Atemu got the message, choosing instead to lean a little forward to press his hands against the floor for an anchor as he began to move his hips.

He closed his eyes as he slowly increased the pace, panting in pleasured exertion, the sharp nails on his thighs giving him pained thrills and the constant stimulation against his prostate was driving his mind further and further away.

A rumble like a purr escaped Yuugi's throat, watching his little human slowly unstitch himself was almost as delicious as the idea of pinning him against the floor and destroying him piece by lust-filled piece. Atemu was hot, so very, very hot. Yuugi had to use all of his will power not to flip them and just take his own pleasure as harshly and roughly as he wanted it; he resisted the desire only by growling quietly, knowing it would do damage to his delicate web of control if he simply took what he wanted.

Instead he began rolling his hips to meet Atemu's downward movements, increasing the amount of stimulation and causing Atemu to whine and clench his hands tightly. The tight heat caressed him, held him as they moved, flesh against flesh, damp with sweat and shivering with need. Yuugi held his vocal appreciation back, but Atemu had no such reserves, moaning more as the stimulation began to overwhelm him and become too much. Yuugi could almost see the coil winding tighter and tighter in Atemu's abdomen.

Bracing his feet against the rug, Yuugi tightened his grip on Atemu's smooth thighs and thrust powerfully up. Atemu, caught by surprise, threw his head back with a high moan as Yuugi hit just the right spot, reaching deeper yet and sending shockwaves of pleasure through him. Oh, the djinni had always known just the right ways to unravel him. He could do little more than mimic the upwards, downwards rhythm he had found, as Yuugi thrusts became forceful, each time seeming to reach deeper, seeming to hit harder. He was getting dizzy with the pleasure, the white edge coming closer to engulfing him in its embrace.

Yuugi could feel the pressure growing in his abdomen; Atemu's voice was setting his nerves on fire, his ego purred at the knowledge that it would only ever be him that managed to reduce the Pharaoh to such an abandoned state of desire. He could sense that Atemu was right at the edge, and decided to give him that last push. Atemu always has been a little masochistic.

Atemu's voice almost chocked when Yuugi's claw-like nails dug into his thighs, scraping hairline cuts across his skin. The sudden intrusion of light pain amidst blinding pleasure did it, and the pressure broke the damn of his self-control.

Yuugi groaned when Atemu's muscles clamped down on the erection inside him, the tight heat becoming a white-hot vice as Yuugi finally made good on Atemu's unspoken challenge and made him scream. Thrusting into that glorious body a few more times, Yuugi let Atemu's scream be the trigger that finally loosed the coil in his body, joining the human as he rode the high waves of orgasm for all it was worth.

Gulping in cool air greedily, Atemu held himself still for a moment to savour the sensation as Yuugi finished spilling into his body, feeling the desperation that came with a climax fading away to pleasant, sated tingles. Then he slumped onto the djinni's damp chest gratefully, wincing slightly when Yuugi slipped out with the movement. The djinni grunted, letting the king rest on him, too busy feeling satisfied with himself to care about the mess Atemu had made of their stomachs.

"Happier now?" Yuugi asked, pitching his voice at an almost annoyed level.

Atemu smiled, seeing through the tone, and nodded without lifting his head. Nuzzling into the base of Yuugi's throat and closing his eyes contentedly.

-

Running swiftly on a clear, baking hot day, the Nile was a beautiful sight to behold, twining its way through cities, villages and farms, endlessly flowing and bringing essential life to Egypt. Cloudy with fertile silt, its surface glittered brightly under Ra's face, and kept most of what lay beneath a secret.

Swimming was very much like flying, or at least it was similar enough for Yuugi to feel more at home within the water then he was on land. He stayed within close range of the royal barge as he swam through the cool water, grateful for the reprieve from the heat. His scales glittered silver-blue when they caught the light filtering through the murky water, he had taken the shape of a flying fish to temporarily escape the people on the barge and be alone with his thoughts. Perhaps for a moment pretend that he was at home and not in Egypt. The cool, weightless sensation of the limbo world that the djinn inhabited was difficult to re-create, though, and the water was doing a poor job of it.

The years had passed quickly for an immortal djinni, but not quickly enough.

Skirting the muddy floor of the river, Yuugi swerved around the water's predators without alerting their attentions, his demon senses telling him all dangers at all times. The past few days had been… different. The Nubian visitors were well behaved on the whole, the only mishaps being a few drunken fights and the usual disagreements over food and prostitutes. Nothing new or particularly worrying.

However, Yuugi sill sensed something odd coming from the Nubian King, and, even stranger, he was sure he could feel something very similar coming from a number of the soldiers too. Whatever it was, it had him and most of the palace on guard. The foreigners had been nice enough so far, and they had _claimed_ that their sole reason for coming was to extend an offering of peace.

The Lesser Air Djinn Atemu had Seth send out to scour the desert had seen nothing unusual, so the King was not hiding his army away from the city ready for a surprise strike. But even the lowest apprentice could see that there had to be something else the Nubian's wanted. Their actions and their words simply did not add up.

The leisurely ride down the Nile was a way for Atemu to gather his own thoughts on the matter. The little Prince had become quite a leader of men, and together, if Yuugi had been able to realise the portion of his power sealed away since his summoning nearly twenty years ago, they would become conquerors too.

But Atemu wasn't interested in conquering, and Yuugi certainly wasn't against the idea of spending the rest of his time here whiling the years away lazily under the sun and moon, his days spent irritating and terrorising the court, and his nights spent in hot embraces. The now grown man proudly governing a whole nation seemed a world away from the infant Prince that had once demanded on threat of tears that Yuugi take the shape of a wolf or jackal and let him ride like the canine was a horse, tugging on his ears like reigns as Yuugi trotted, with much vicious internal grumbling, about the palace. Yuugi doubted Atemu even remembered that, though he remembered it with something like fondness.

A ripple of magic pulsed through the water to his sensitive fins. Summoning magic. Yuugi would have scowled if fish could, feeling Atemu call him to his side. What on Earth was being summoned? Flicking his tail fins, Yuugi shot through the water, leaving a small cloud of mud where his tail had disturbed the river base. Gathering speed, he reached the surface and broke out into the air, spreading the large transparent blue fins on his sides and gliding on an air draft just above the river surface towards the largest boat in a small procession.

Reaching the long deck, he folded the wing-like fins and dropped out of the air, landing smoothly on the wood in the shape of a silver-plumed cobra. Holding his head high, Yuugi slithered to where Atemu was sat, but the Pharaoh was too annoyed by the sight before him to notice the snake.

A small pack of Imps, the lowest and weakest class of demon, were capering around in playful loops around the runes that made up the small circles that had been used to summon them. About five of the little red-skinned monsters, all Fire Imps, all no taller than a small child with tiny claws and horns, spiked tails as long as their bodies acted like whips. Imps were a notorious pain to keep quiet long enough to give orders, they did it on purpose, in the hope that their Master would get so annoyed he would send them back home.

One or twice, Yuugi had considered using the Imp's childish tactics himself.

Clearly, they had seen a tiny loophole in Atemu's direct orders, and where using it to their full advantage, chattering and laughing loudly. Yuugi rolled his eyes, the idiots could not even recognise the amount power in those that summoned them, and Atemu was on the verge of showing them that power. But that would be dangerous; they could not risk people on the shore seeing their Pharaoh literally glowing with rage. Besides, the boat might sink if Atemu snapped, and Yuugi didn't feel like rescuing people from crocodile jaws today.

"Master? You asked for me?" He spoke as he approached the gathering, gaining the attentions of Atemu and the Priests, who were equally irritated by the Imps they had helped to summon.

Atemu turned to him with a bright smile, "Yuugi, at last."

The Imps froze when they heard the Air Djinn's name, recognising the power and ranking behind it. Yuugi hissed at them, playfully dangerous, as he passed, and they shrank back with little squeaks of terror.

Seth spoke the orders again as Atemu bent to let Yuugi climb his arm to coil around his shoulders, clarifying to the Imps what their orders were, "We have decided to send you, Fire Imps, to spy on the Nubians from their own camp and cooking fires, you will listen and record everything anyone in that camp says, you will not reveal yourselves, you will not cause any mischief or mayhem, and you may not utter a sound to anyone other than ourselves nor communicate with them in any other way. You will report to us in the morning. Go."

Sending quick, fearful, side glances to the crowned snake sitting on the Pharaoh's shoulders, they chittered something foreign, half-bowing in an awkward-looking human gesture towards Yuugi, who resisted the urge to laugh at their forced politeness.

Moments later, the imps had sprouted tiny pairs of batwings and were flapping towards land, using their weak magic to throw a guise of invisibility over themselves as they went.

When they had vanished, Isis spoke, "Do you think they will find anything?"

Atemu lowered his gaze from the sky to frown at the Nubian camp in the distance, "It is likely."

-

**AN: **There we are, at last an update. Sorry it took so long, there has been a never ending stream of Real Life problems since September and I just havn't had time for writing. Nonetheless, Part Four is getting close to being done already, but I wouldn't bet on when it'll be done.

SilverDragon-Purity: - Hiya! Yeah, as to Yuugi's colouring, he can basically choose to take on any of the colours in the spectrum that he wants. Genreally he chooses to make the colours natural, but prefers blacks, golds, silvers and reds. So hence why his cat form is a black cat but his peregrine falcon shape is the normal kind of grey-brown-ish-thing. He makes an exception for the cobra, however, as his body is the usual colour but the cobra's hood is a silvery colour.

Next Part!:

_"Let me kill them."_

_Atemu's eyebrows rose at the unexpected request, his mouth felt dry when he spoke Yuugi's name again in question, half outstretching his hand to touch the demon's mane again before he thought better of it._

_"You heard me. Bring them back here. Let me kill them!"_

_"No. Yuugi, no, we still need them. What in heaven did they say to you?"_

_The lion stood resolutely still, "Nothing I can translate. Now bring them back."_

_"Yuugi you cannot kill them – "_

_"_Do _not_ deny me this, Atemu!" _He roared and moved abruptly, twisting his neck to look back at them._

_Atemu felt a cold thrill run down his spine. Never had Yuugi looked as demonic as he did now, never had his heritage been so clear to see in his eyes, never had he looked so full of hate._

**Review Please!**


	4. Part Four

**AN: **Right, this came later than expected, but you can blame my beta and her deadlines for that.

Yuugi's still an arse, and I can't promise he'll get much better, but you can understand his reasons, yes?

Ah, and apparently, as The British Museum tells me, the game of senet includes the throwing of sticks to decide how many squares you can then move your piece(s), so I choose to believe them.

**King**

**Part Four**

"What do you think of them, cousin?"

Atemu placed his question quite suddenly, amidst their quiet game of senet. Seth looked up from the pieces thoughtfully.

"The Nubian's, My Pharaoh?"

"Yes, personally, without the rest of the council here, what would you make of them?"

"I… am unsure what to think, if I am honest. They do so many things that contradict themselves, they seem dangerous, and yet the most threatening thing they have done so far is arrive."

Atemu 'hmmed' in thought, leaning an elbow on the table and resting his chin upon the palm, watching Seth finally move his piece after minutes of waiting. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye; turning to it, he smiled a little, seeing a bored-looking falcon yawn widely before tucking his head back under his wing. Yuugi had been sleeping a lot recently, he wondered why.

"They certainly _seem_ sincere with their offer of peace." Seth continued.

Atemu nodded, "But isn't that the problem? Our Items have been uneasy since they arrived, it cannot be coincidence."

"And with Isis's misgivings, the possibility of a coincidence is even less likely."

Seth sighed, both in slight nervousness for the future, and because with the quiet clatter of sticks on the stone table, Atemu had made another move in their game that all but claimed him the winner. Seth wasn't even sure why he tried anymore, he'd been trying to beat Atemu at this game since they were children, and it had never worked. Running his hand through his rich brown hair, he remembered the meeting Isis had summoned them all for only last night. The way the normally calm Priestess kept tossing her raven hair out of her eyes as if in great frustration and nerves had stuck with him. She was on edge, unnerved by the Sennen Tauk's inability to see into their future. All she could see was black. Endless, unbroken blackness.

That couldn't bode well.

They had spent hours discussing what it was they could sense form the Nubians, hours trying to decipher all the small signs Isis described as pointing towards a catastrophe, and, even worse, the Sennen Tauk's unheard of inability to see into it all. But all they could pinpoint was the fact that the Nubians felt hostile under all their peace talks. The signs Isis described were too ambiguous, they pointed in too many possible directions at once, and none of them were good. They could come to no conclusion over the vision of black.

So they had parted, last night, with as many questions as they had come together with.

Atemu was nervous: they were all nervous. Except for Yuugi, who, Atemu realised, didn't seem to care much either way. The Pharaoh knew that Khemet meant little, if anything at all, to the djinni, and its destruction would be more likely to benefit the demon than not. Atemu resisted the urge to sigh heavily; the neutral attitude Yuugi had towards this future was helping to ground his own worries, but it was still a little hurtful to know that, though Yuugi protected him with his life, he would still always choose his freedom over anything else.

Even in matters of the heart, Air Djinn were difficult to ground.

Beside Seth's shoulder, the High Priest's personal guard shifted, uncomfortable from standing stoically for so long. Atemu lifted his eyes lazily from contemplating the game board where Seth was due to make a move, to the tall, dark blond man dressed in simple cloth and armaments, a spear held vertical at his side.

The guard, Jonoh, as Atemu remembered, had been the head of Seth's personal guard for almost as many years as he had been in the palace. Seth had caught sight of him and been mysteriously keen on him entering his service one day when observing the new recruits in the training grounds. Over the years, Atemu had seen them grow strangely close, despite the class distinctions between them, and he had suspicions that the closeness was even more intimate than that.

Of course, Seth didn't exactly show it, but it was clear to see if you knew him. And if not through Seth, then Jonoh wasn't exactly a pinnacle of stone, Atemu would have to be blind to miss the looks the guard gave Seth, and the eager way he followed the priest around surely wasn't all work ethic. Yuugi had commented once on Seth clearly needing to get himself a real dog, if he was that keen on them that he would get a lover who acted just like one. Atemu had nearly burst into laughter in the middle of a meeting, quickly shushing the silver-tongued demon before he could go any further.

"We'll be finalising this peace deal soon." Atemu said, elegant fingers hovering over the pieces, studying the board, "Hopefully nothing will come of their presence here."

Seth sighed, "Then what could it be if not the Nubians? The signs can't be pointing at nothing."

Atemu chose not to answer the question they already knew the answer to, "How have the security measures been going?"

"Well. We have several disguised Middle-Class Djinn of varying types patrolling the palace perimeters, and a number of imps placed as spies in the city and Nubian camp, you have already heard all of their reports."

Atemu moved his piece to win the game, "Indeed. Another round, Seth?"

"If it pleases His Majesty."

Yuugi opened his eyes momentarily to glance at the two men rearranging the senet pieces to start again, then raised his wing to block them out, bored of the never ending board games the Pharaoh and his cousin played. It was always so predictable. Seth was a brilliant player; but Atemu was a master, and always had been.

His thoughts were centred less on the Nubians and more on that apprentice of Kalim's. He had seen her in more than one place he was sure she wasn't supposed to be. She and her brother had been from a remote part of the kingdom; their people had different thoughts to those normally found in the palace, different names for the same things. He didn't even know her name, but she kept catching his attention. She was more calculating than her brother, smarter, more patient; Yuugi could see the something extra in her dark eyes. Left to her own devices, she would become powerful, untamed.

And so, for that reason, he did not tell Atemu about her. He wanted to see where she would go with her newfound ambition, her dark desires. She interested him. And he liked chaos.

A little ways across the room, he heard the sharp 'clack' of a game piece being placed firmly on the board.

"I win again, Seth."

-

It was late afternoon when Yuugi felt the tug of a summon. But Atemu was in the library, mere isles away from him, why would he need to use such a powerful summon when just speaking his name would have worked?

When a painfully sharp jolt seemed to yank at his very essence, Yuugi knew that it wasn't Atemu who was attempting to summon him. He didn't know how it was that someone outside of their bond was managing this, but he would find out soon, as he succumbed to the demanding tug and felt himself be pulled as if through a tight tube, through to where the mystery person was waiting.

Yuugi had his suspicions.

He materialised again in a small circle drawn crudely in red dye and dirt, clearly it was a makeshift and temporary deal, whatever this was. Raising his feline head, Yuugi was not surprised to see the girl apprentice stood close by. A bright look of triumph shinning in her dark eyes.

Yuugi twitched his tail and raised a black eyebrow. She grinned, and held up a large bronze amulet covered in runes on a long chain.

"Hello, demon."

Yuugi recognised the amulet with a sudden thrill of shock and slight fear, before its power activated fully. Sending a shockwave through the air of the bare stone room, it launched its power towards the intended demon, gripping hold with invisible tendrils and twisting its claws into his physical body.

Yuugi gritted his teeth and forced down a scream, writhing on the dirty floor as those invisible claws forced his body to change, pulling his human form out of the small cat he had been.

Yuugi drew in a huge breath when the pain subsided, pulling himself uncertainly to his wobbly feet and snarling at the damned girl in front of him, who was staring at him with glee. It had been the power of that amulet that had summoned him, and it was the power of that amulet that was about to make him do what she wanted. It vibrated sharply as it exuded its power, buzzing faintly in the quiet room. Perhaps it had been a mistake after all to leave her to her own devices.

"How did you get something like that?" Yuugi growled.

She tilted her head, "You recognise it then. It has been passed through the bloodline of my clan for generations, though I have only recently discovered its purpose."

Yuugi scoffed. Summoned by a novice, just perfect. The amulet was created by cunning humans with powerful words and a lot of time on their hands, to temporarily steal another's demon; it revealed them in their most truthful forms, it forced them to be genuine in whatever they spoke, it was almost like a drug that kept them unable to keep up their inhibitions.

Lifting his upper lip in a half-snarl, Yuugi sent out thin, barely noticeable tendrils of magic to sniff out the room. The circle may have been crude, but it was demon tight. The room itself had been sealed by the girl's magic.

"Well then, what do you want?"

The girl's smug grin didn't lessen, "The truth."

Yuugi frowned; she had summoned him here for a chat? She was using up one of humankind's most powerful devices on capturing a First Class Djinni and all she wanted was the truth? He stayed silent.

"Tell me, exactly, what your relationship is with the Pharaoh."

A powerful magic forced the words out of his mouth, "He is my Master, and I am his djinni. I thought all magic-users could understand at least those basics."

"All the relationship, fool!" She snapped, "Beyond that. Magic, emotions, experiences, tell me."

"We are soul bonded." He snarled through gritted teeth, "As long as he remains alive, he is my world whether I like it or not. I am trapped on this plane of existence until he dies, and the magic that binds us together prevents me from tearing him apart." He paused, fighting desperately with the magic of the amulet. But the girl had asked for the truth and it was a fruitless fight, the magic won out, "He loves me. He loves me more than he can even understand. I am his life's companion, his best friend, his confidant, his lover."

Her eyes went wide, "His… lover?"

Yuugi ground his teeth together, "…Yes."

She was shocked into silence for a moment, "Impossible. A demon with a human. With the Pharaoh."

"Enough of this!" Yuugi spat, "What do you attempt to achieve with these ridiculous questions?"

She scowled at him and ignored his comments, her mind working fast, "And what about you? Do you love him?"

This time Yuugi's fight against the amulet was visible, his shoulders shook and tiny drops of blood dripped from his clenched fists. But in the end, the truth was the truth, no matter how he hid it from the world. From himself. "I do."

She smiled again, "Perfect. Then what would you do if someone I know was plotting the destruction of the palace?"

Yuugi raised an eyebrow, what was this? Revenge? "I'd do nothing."

She was taken aback, "Excuse me?"

"You heard."

"But… why? If you loved him you'd do anything for him, wouldn't you? You'd stop anyone that attempted to destroy his home and position. You'd kill them!"

Yuugi's mouth twitched in a smile. That's what this was about. Ambition. Revenge and ambition. She wanted someone dead. There was no plot to destroy the palace, only a little girl's dark thoughts. Rather than be horrified at the prospect of a demon on the seat of power, she embraced it with thoughts of gaining her own power. She wasn't much like her brother at all.

Yuugi tilted his head in a bored fashion, "No, I wouldn't. Khemet means nothing to me. As long as the Master is alive, my duty remains fulfilled."

"But what if they were planning on killing the Pharaoh along with destroying the palace?"

Yuugi rolled his eyes, "You are wasting my time, girl, you heard my answer."

"But you love him don't you?!" she cried, desperate for some solid ground to work with.

"I am djinn." Was the only reply Yuugi gave her after a long pause.

"So… then you truly don't care?"

"I love him. But I would kill him, given the chance. He knows this."

She licked her lips nervously, "I don't understand."

"No, understanding never has been a human strong point."

"Give me a straight answer, demon! I hold the amulet, you cannot lie!"

"I'm not lying." A taunting smile, there were ways around this magic after all, "You are not asking the right questions."

She took a deep breath, reigning in her anger and fear of failure, "You say you love him. But if that is true then why would you kill him?"

"For my freedom."

She blinked, "But… you are free."

Yuugi scowled, "You truly are a novice apprentice aren't you?"

She flared up, insulted, "I'm the one asking the questions here!"

He snorted, rolling his eyes in irritation, "Humans are all the same. Very well, I will tell you, the chances of you ever being capable of summoning me again, or any kind of demon powerful enough for your purposes, are miniscule anyway so I see no harm." He smirked and ignored her insult, "There is no human alive that could manage a First Class alone."

"Now who's the novice," she spoke smugly, "the Pharaoh summoned you so – "

Yuugi threw his head back and laughed, "I suggest you keep your mouth shut from now on, girl, before you prove yourself to be even more stupid. Think! I have been bound to the Pharaoh since he was barely a minute old, do you think a newborn could have summoned anything? Let alone a djinni?"

"What?" She had heard nothing of how or when Yuugi had come into their world, only those who had been present at the birth knew.

"The Pharaoh is extremely powerful, he would not be able to maintain his position as my Master if he were not, but even he could not have summoned me alone. I am of the highest-level air djinn. I am one of what we demons call 'Powers'. It took every single member of the council, and the previous Pharaoh himself, to bring me into this world."

She tilted her head enraptured by his speech, which flowed more freely now he seemed to have dropped his guard a little more. Normally, he would not have continued, but with the amulet resonating, it lowered his inhibitions, and forced him to speak more freely than ever before.

"My name is forgotten." Yuugi said, eyes gazing blankly at the buzzing amulet, "By all but the most ancient of texts. The power in people diminishes, slowly, slowly, each generation losing another grain of magic from its veins, like sand in an hourglass. The field of sand is as large as the desert now, but eventually it will be no larger than a strip on the coast. Soon, it will all be lost to you. It is better that my name is forgotten, very soon there will be no one left powerful enough to contain me, summoning me would only result in deaths. I will not be chained willingly to mortal forms."

Yuugi spoke the last part with venom, as if impassioned by his own speech. His eyes flashed dangerously.

"Humans have no idea… no idea of what it is like to be free one moment and behind bars the next. Not in the context of which I speak. Free. Truly free and at peace; one with everything, scattered about the world and everywhere at once. That is the secret of the air djinn: our essences are not contained, not by the earth on which we stand, not within the flames or embers of a fire, nor in the oceans and rivers of the world. That is why it is so difficult to summon us, so impossible to keep hold of us: we are air, and we are everywhere at once. To bring us here one must pull together every one of our atoms, spread singularly across the world, drifting in perfect slumber, and force them together so tightly that we are forced to take on corporeal forms. Our minds are wrenched from limbo and forced into these cumbersome forms. It is torture!"

She did not dare to interrupt him; he was so angered now that the room seemed charged with energy, as if he had waited for centuries for an excuse to vent. And she feared that if she spoke she would snap him out of this state and would hear no more from him.

"No. It is beyond torture," Yuugi hissed after a moment, sounding much like the snake whose shape he often took, "Agony cannot describe, cannot come close to what existence in a corporeal state is like for an air djinn! Every single atom in your body fighting, pulling endlessly away, to be free. Death would be better than this. A thousand deaths would be easier to bare! But I refuse to choose death. After all," his voice was growing quiet again, controlled, dark, "a human's life is very short. I can wait."

The energy emptied away from the air, leaving the room feeling unnaturally cold. She shivered. Yuugi was looking at her coldly from under his hair, probably now realising and regretting his outburst.

Inexplicably, she felt pity for him, and sorrow at his predicament. She did not doubt his words, he had spoken them with too much experienced emotion to doubt their sincerity, and the amulet prevented anything but the truth from him anyway.

And as his words sunk in she felt something stirring at the bottom of her heart, a forming idea.

The whispers that visited her in the shadowy nights would be very proud if she could finally discover a way for him to defeat the Pharaoh. And the benefits to her career would be almost endless. They would reward her.

"You wish that strongly for your freedom? You are in that much pain that you would kill him, the one you love?"

The amulet made him answer truthfully, "Yes."

She smiled invitingly, "I could give you that way out."

"Touch him and I will send you screaming to the jaws of Ammut!" Was the immediate reply.

She stepped back, shocked and a little fearful, "Excuse me? But you just said you wanted to kill him."

"Did I once say that I _wanted_ to kill the Pharaoh?" Yuugi answered snappishly, his patience wearing thin now, "I would never let anyone touch him. I am bound by a bond only breakable by death to him, I am bound by my own heart to protect him. I will destroy anyone who harms him, but out of love, I would end his life myself if he gave me the chance. Only me."

"But you…"

"Yes, girl, we have established that I love him. But you forget the key difference between us. I am not human. You cannot apply the same rules to me as you would anyone else. I love differently. A djinni's love is immortal, unchanging. Whether the recipient is there to receive it or not."

"But I can give you a way out of this hell you are trapped in! Never to be summoned again!" She was growing desperate, her perfect plan destroyed before it could properly form.

Yuugi gave a sly grin that was so sudden and strange that she grew inexplicably terrified. Then he spoke: "Your amulet is breaking, it must be old. One final thing then, little girl, to end this spell. A final truth you would do well to remember. The Pharaoh knows all of this. He knows I love him. He knows I am in agony. He knows, acutely, how dangerous I am. Deep down, he knows I would kill him. Yet, still, he chooses to keep me in this way. And I will tell you this: he loves me all the more because of it. My pain makes me real to him. The danger makes it all the better. He relishes the threat, quietly to himself, knowing that with me by his side he could conquer the world, and _still_ die at my hands." Yuugi tilted his head and muttered the next part with barely contained laughter, "He is addicted to me."

The words made her reel backwards, the implications making her worldview tilt out of control, for several minutes she had to stand with a hand to her chest and concentrate on the goal the darkness had whispered to her. The Pharaoh, their God and leader, the most powerful man in all Khemet, was hopelessly seduced by demonic powers. She had known it, of course, but never suspected it to this extent. It was fitting then, the other name her people gave to the Air Djinn, the one she had never understood. They really were better known as Chaos Demons.

She blocked her thoughts out; trying to control how this revelation changed everything she had grown up believing in by stalling it for later when she was alone. Managing to rearrange a calmer exterior, she looked back up in an attempt to meet Yuugi's gaze. It was blank again, with only the air of childish innocence clinging to his pretty face.

She blinked, and before her stood a jackal in the boy's place. For a moment she flared up in anger before realising what had happened. The amulet had ceased resonating. Its spell had broken.

The jackal's muzzle opened, tongue curling lazily, silkily around the words it spoke in Yuugi's voice, "He calls me now. You will be lucky indeed if he decides not to investigate why I was away for so long, perhaps I should prevent the investigation and cut straight to the punishment."

She didn't need to ask what he meant, Yuugi's chosen form, the jackal, was threat enough. The jackal grinned, displaying rows of dagger sharp teeth, something that put her on edge. She knew she had no power over him now.

Suddenly he burst into a sprint, running straight for her. She didn't have time to think, not even enough time to let instincts kick in and run before the jackal was right in front of her. Yuugi crouched and leapt, teeth flashing as he aimed for her throat.

She screamed.

But no pain followed.

Hesitantly, she opened her eyes, lowering her arms from around her head although she didn't know when she had raised them. The jackal was nowhere to be seen. His presence had vanished.

The night whispers would not be pleased.

-

Atemu turned his head as he sensed Yuugi's arrival. Eyes narrowing as a slim, sleek furred jackal appeared out of thin air, mid-leap, and landed with a slight clattering of claws on the floor.

"Where have you been?" he demanded as Yuugi trotted over to him.

Coming to a stop by his side on the balcony Yuugi replied, "Just a bit of fun."

Atemu scowled, Yuugi only ever took the shape of a jackal when either delivering a death threat or having just carried out previously mentioned threat. He was suspicious as to what this 'fun' was. "I hope you haven't been terrorising the apprentices and palace slaves again."

Yuugi gave him a mock innocent look, or at least as innocent as a jackal could manage, "Now, why would I do that? Nurturing young human minds is of the upmost importance to us all, mental scarring would be such a horrific set back."

"Overkill, Yuugi." Atemu said, trying to hide his amusement, "I might have bought it if you had left it at 'why would I do that?'"

"Of course you would." Yuugi said dryly, an ear twitching to better hear a distant bird.

Atemu sighed heavily, kneeling next the sitting jackal to better enforce his words. "I don't like it when you go away, Yuugi, you know this." He whispered it into the jackal's ear, unwilling to speak any louder.

Yuugi swished his tail, "You are fine, aren't you?" it was rhetorical question.

"That is not the point. What if something had happened and you did not get here in time or I had no chance to call you?"

"You have many other djinn and imps under your control, Atemu."

Atemu scoffed, "The imps are only useful as spies or snacks for the other djinn, and the djinn themselves are all but useless for anything other than manual labour. You know this."

Yuugi smiled, "Perhaps."

"Where have you been, then? You should not vanish in that way, Yuugi." Atemu persisted.

Yuugi bristled silently with irritation; did he have no privacy on top of the forced slavery to various humans?

"Nowhere worth concern, do not worry." Yuugi replied stiffly, choosing to sniff at the air rather than provide any detailed answers. "Those Nubian ambassadors have still not left the palace?"

Atemu shifted, his irritation at the ambassadors presence clear to see. "No, unfortunately."

"Why have they not returned to camp yet?"

"Isis wished for an audience with them. She, Seth and Kalim are trying to decipher what it is about them that is strange. However, probing a person's soul without their knowing is proving to be much harder than we expected. And they are lingering here longer than they should."

"Am I to give them a more persuasive reason to leave?" Yuugi asked as if observing the weather, Atemu looked down in time to see the jackal's fur ripple and turn a black darker than night, a solid gold chocker around his neck and hoop earring piercing his left pointed ear.

Atemu smiled, burying his fingers in the fur on Yuugi's shoulders, enjoying the little pinpricks that sparked at his skin where contact was made.

"Be careful, my demon, sightings of Gods and Divinity are to be left for a much more… particular occasion."

Yuugi turned his sharp muzzle a little, eyes glinting from below the half-open lids; he and the Pharaoh shared a look. Atemu trailed his fingers along the underside of Yuugi's jaw.

"I had a dream last night." He spoke quietly so that both of Yuugi's pointed ears had to swivel just to catch enough of the sound to hear him, "I can't really remember it, but… I think I was in pain. Are you supposed to feel pain in dreams?"

"That all depends on the dream."

Atemu lowered his gaze, "There was fire, and enough men to fill up an army. You were right there, but I could not find you. I heard your voice, but not how I usually do. I heard it _outside_ of me. You spoke like you were in a different place all together. There was more, but I don't remember it."

"Why did you not mention this when you woke?"

"Because we had to go straight to meet with the ambassadors again. And I thought it would be nothing, it was a dream, after all, but it has been plaguing my mind since I woke. It was a dream though, just a dream?"

Yuugi wondered how in all of existence he had missed the slight shifting in Atemu's mood, when usually the slightest twinge of irritation or the smallest ounce of desire could be felt as strongly as a great wave of love or fear.

"Dreams that come to those with power often mean more then they show. You have great power, Master, it would not be wise to ignore this."

Atemu was silent for a moment, then he looked up hesitantly and asked with a nervous lick of his lips, "You… will not leave me?"

The jackal gazed at him blankly, "I have no choice to do otherwise."

"Not like that, Yuugi, don't say it like that." He swallowed, "You would stay with me, if you had the choice?"

The jackal said nothing, in the moment that followed, Atemu leaned forward and was embraced by a pair of pale arms. Shifting, he coiled up to the warmth and pressed his face into the djinni's neck to hide from the truth of Yuugi's expression.

Yuugi pressed Atemu to his chest tightly, finger's clutching at the rich cape splaying from Atemu's shoulders on to the ground before them like a frozen fall of water, he listened to the human's breathing, felt Atemu's heart beating against his own.

But his gaze was lost to the eternally changing sky above.

-

"Is this all you have found?" Atemu asked, his expression etched into a scowl.

The five fire imps, crouched like bullfrogs in a small group, matched the Pharaoh's gaze with expressions of the utmost boredom.

"Yes, Master. That is all." Said the one in front, the one Atemu had summoned himself. It had a particularly sharp pair of coal-black eyes and a cruel mouth that stretched the dry, red skin of its cheeks when it smiled.

"No gossip? Nothing from the soldiers, the slaves, the whores?" Seth asked, the disbelief in his voice was clear.

"Nothing at all. None of them seem to know much of anything, we have reported everything of suspicion already." Seth's summoned imp spoke this time, "Each of them is as idiotic as the other. And the King and his council members are all keeping silent."

Atemu sighed and waved a bejewelled hand in a gesture of dismissal, "Very well. You will continue your vigilance, but until then you may lea–"

"That cannot be all." Came a low, growling voice from behind the Pharaoh.

Yuugi glared at the imps as all eyes in the room turned to look at him. He was stood half-curled around Atemu's legs, his golden head level with the King's waist. Slowly, he padded forward.

"What aren't you telling us?"

The imps shrunk slightly, but stood their ground. Atemu felt confused by Yuugi's actions, his djinni hardly ever spoke loudly enough for other people in the room to hear him.

But then again, Yuugi had been acting strangely all afternoon.

"Yuugi," Atemu said smoothly to keep Yuugi placid, quickly gesturing to the Priests to remain silent, "They've told us everything already, I and the Priests would know if they had not."

Yuugi had been about to back off, realising the truth of Atemu's words, but the imps had found their courage, and realised their safety, and wanted to use it.

"That's right, kitty." The lead imp said tauntingly, speaking in the chittering language of the imps and lesser demons, "Now stop embarrassing yourself and go lick your arse clean."

"I could kill you easily." The lion growled, also using the imp's language so the humans would not understand. But the imps were now in their element.

"But you won't, will you?" Said one of the imps cheekily. One of its companions leapt onto its shoulder's like some obscure frog and grinned toothily, saying:

"Because _Master_ won't let you." He simpered the word 'Master', taunting Yuugi with a purposefully pathetic imitation of himself.

"We hear talk of you, you know." Another imp said, with an identical grin, "The Powers talk of you, do you remember them? Your dear friends? They say you aren't like them anymore, they say you've gone soft. And guess what else," The imp giggled, "We hear tell that you _like_ the humans now. That you _looove_ them. That's your Master there, isn't it? The one with the crown. The one you like to _fuck_!"

The little creatures fell about laughing. Finally fed up by their constant jabbering, Atemu swept an arm to dismiss them. Though they vanished immediately, their laughter continued to echo. Concerned, he looked towards his demon. Yuugi's teeth were gritted together so hard his jaw was beginning to hurt, his golden fur stood on end and almost crackled with infuriated electricity.

"Yuugi?" He asked, anxious, reaching a hand out to touch his mane, then yelped and jumped back as a sharp shock blasted through him. Startled at this reaction, Atemu stood frozen with the confused priests just a little ways behind him, he held the hand that had been shocked to his chest.

Yuugi did not turn to look at him, his burning gaze still fixed on the space where the imps had been. His mouth opened, sharp teeth glinting with the want for blood:

"Let me kill them."

Atemu's eyebrows rose at the unexpected request, his mouth felt dry when he spoke Yuugi's name again in question, half outstretching his hand to touch the demon's mane again before he thought better of it.

"You heard me. Bring them back here. Let me kill them!"

"No. Yuugi, no, we still need them. What in heaven did they say to you?"

The lion stood resolutely still, "Nothing I can translate. Now bring them back."

"Yuugi you cannot kill them – "

"_Do _not_ deny me this, Atemu!_" He roared and moved abruptly, twisting his neck to look back at them.

Atemu felt a cold thrill run down his spine. Never had Yuugi looked as demonic as he did now, never had his heritage been so clear to see in his now glowing eyes, never had he looked so full of hate.

And never had Yuugi used his name before.

Behind him, the priests took defensive positions, their Items flaring to life. Ready to fight should the djinni snap and attack.

Desperately, Atemu wanted to give Yuugi what he desired, especially when it was clear how badly he wanted it. Atemu wished with all his heart he knew what was driving his soul-partner to the brink of loosing his unfaltering self-control. But he couldn't. They still needed those imps.

"Forgive me, Yuugi. I can't let you kill them."

With a roar so loud it cracked the inscriptions on the finely painted walls, Yuugi turned, the priests held their Items ready for attack. But all the djinni did was meet Atemu's pained gaze with blind rage and hated.

"Then let the Powers damn me before I concede to serve you again!"

With that damning shriek, the lion dissolved into the air with a small explosion of lightning and silver wind. Leaving the large room silent and held up by cracking walls.

-

White gold grains of sand dug between her sandaled toes, sticking to her sweaty palms as she stumbled and half-crawled up the steep dune. The moon hung pale as that Chaos Demon's skin, its scars seemed to grin at her in the same taunting manner as him.

"Am I nearly there?"

The night whispers told her to be silent and keep moving. Coming to her ears like living shadows born on the cruel desert winds.

Exhausted, panting, her limbs trembling beneath her, she turned her head back to the huge city of Khemet, now a dark metropolis on the horizon. A faint disturbance in the pressure of the air sent frozen tingles down her spine. What was happening in the palace? Fear bubbled in her stomach, thinking _he_ had found her. He must have informed the Pharaoh by now. The King's magic was far beyond hers, he would be able to find her and send his _snake_ to destroy her in a moment.

The night growled at her, desert shadows swarming about her ankles like scorpions, nipping her heels, telling her to _move_ before they took her body from her possession again.

Breath hitching in fear, she swallowed and tore her gaze away from the city, ignoring the faint magic she had felt suddenly infuse into the air before fading. Scrambling up the final few feet, she reached the top of the dune and looked down.

Her black eyes alight with the red fires of the Nubian camp below, she smiled.

The whispers told her to hurry.

-

**AN:** Don't know when the next part will be up, I may have the chapter planned out, but very little is written because I've been bogged down with writing essays and original stuff for uni. On the plus side I've randomly managed to write a huge chunk for the next instalment of the little 'oneshots' from Alphabet. Anyone remember 'Zoom-Lens'? Thought not.

Anyway, due to all this the preview hasn't been written, but I can give you another little glance-type-thing: Everyone's most hated little Air Djinni has gone missing, and Atemu's distracted to the point of despair. With the Nubain's right on their doorstep, this probably isn't the best thing. Which means that late-night desert travelling probably isn't the best idea either. Ah, Atemu, you silly Pharaoh, you should have known the Nubain's weren't all they said they were. One life-threatening situation, one crazy black stallion, and one night in an oasis later, the King of Egypt isn't the same man he was when he woke up that morning. And as for Yuugi? Well, he's hurtling towards one hell of a fork in the path of life, and no matter which direction he takes; the result is not going to be all peaches and cream. In fact it'll be more like rotten apple slices and old milk.

**Review Please!**


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